Starting Over
by horrorphile
Summary: Carol and Daryl are practically strangers but they agree to live together as a couple to protect Sophia. The story is set at the beginning of Season Two and expect that nothing will be the same as the television show. Their group has been rescued by the army and they are trying to build a new community.
1. Chapter 1

De Novo

"Carol, I'm sorry you had to wait so long. Come in please, and if you don't mind let Sophia stay where she is for just a few minutes."

Sophia nodded at her and Carol stood up and went toward Dr. Ferrell. He smiled at her wearily and she thought, _he has the kindest eyes of anyone I ever knew_. He must be in his seventies, a dark skinned African-American who walked with a distinct limp and a smile for everyone he met. He held the door open for her and called to the restless man staring out the window. "Daryl, I will be with you in just a little while."

Carol would have gladly allowed Daryl to go first. He could be uncivilized, prone to anger, and bad language. She didn't like leaving Sophia with him, and he had stalked around the small waiting room like a wild animal in a cage. He wouldn't hurt Sophia but he might frighten her.

Dr. Ferrell smiled again and Carol went through the door to an almost bare office. There was a desk, a file cabinet, and three chairs a sense that it would take about two minutes to vacate the premises. Dr. Ferrell motioned for her to sit and he waited until she sat down. Carol didn't know much about him except that he was a psychologist and he was in charge of allocating where survivors were sent to after they left the resettlement camp. He and his staff had given her and all the other survivors from the CDC a battery of tests and then today she had been summoned to the exit meeting.

Dr. Ferrell spoke softly, "Carol, I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say. I know from your personal interviews that you were in an abusive marriage and that your abuser is dead. You have a daughter that you love very much and you will do anything to protect her. Is that all true?"

Carol nodded. She knew from the first interview with Dr. Ferrell that someone in the group had told them that Ed had been abusive. She would do anything to protect Sophia. It was impossible to keep secrets from Dr. Ferrell anyway. She had told her last lie to protect Ed. Dr. Ferrell knew her story because they had talked together through several "interviews" that were really counseling sessions.

"Carol, my first duty here is to protect Sophia. Every decision that I make is always in what I believe to be in the best interest of the child involved. You are a single mother who had stayed in a long term abusive relationship. You don't know how to fight to protect your child."

Her first thought was that he was taking Sophia away from her and it must have shown on her face. He hastened to say, "Sophia is your child and we won't separate you. Now listen carefully, it is in Sophia's best interest that you have a strong fighter by your side protecting your daughter. You need a partner and we have one that we have picked out for you."

"My husband has been dead less than two weeks and you want me to be with someone else." Carol had not intentions of going near another man. Ed had long ago beat any romantic or sexual notions out of her. "I won't do it."

Dr. Ferrell seemed pleased at her defiance, "That's the spirit that I want to see from you, and I understand why you don't want another man in your life. Carol, you are highly intelligent, capable, and resilient. You are kind and considerate. Carol, you are an innate protector. You just need a little assistance in learning how to fight. You need help in protecting Sophia and I have someone who can do that for you."

Carol muttered, "Who do you have in mind?" She thought of Rick Grimes, a single father. Maybe T-Dogg who was a sweetheart. Dale was older but had always been kind. Her mind flashed back to the last man standing in the waiting room; the last man she would pick to be at her side, Daryl Dixon.

Dr. Ferrell's smiled at her look of horror, "Daryl Dixon. He is a little rough around the edges and he lacks some social graces but he is very smart, has incredible survival skills, and you two have similar backgrounds. Daryl was abused by his father. Daryl loves his brother but Merle wasn't good for Daryl. He became Merle's guardian and that was a full time job. He's adrift without his brother and he wants to just go it alone out there. He might survive physically but Daryl isn't the island that he thinks he is. He needs to live in a home where the mother loves her child and he needs to have friends that respect him. He has kept his own secrets too long."

"What exactly do you want this relationship to be?" Carol wasn't sure if she was supposed to be a partner or a parent in this set up.

"You will both live in a house with Sophia. You can have separate bedrooms and I would certainly advise that right now. If you both decide later to have sexual relations, then that would be your business. The rest of the community will believe you to be a couple and that is for your protection, Carol. You are an attractive woman and men will be attracted to you. Daryl Dixon will discourage those would be suitors from coming around with one glower in their direction." Dr. Ferrell seemed delighted at the thought of a jealous Daryl.

"He'll never agree to this. Daryl would rather go live in the woods and be a carnivorous Grizzly Adams than play house with me and Sophia." Carol knew that Daryl wouldn't sign on to this arrangement.

"Please wait outside. The convoy is leaving in an hour to take you to your new assignment. I'll bring you back in here in a few minutes."

Carol went back to the outer room and sat down by Sophia. She allowed herself one look at Daryl Dixon and she did admit that he was attractive underneath the surface grime. Daryl had gone hunting in walker infested woods to bring food back to the group at the quarry. He fought to protect them when walkers attacked and he wasn't as out of control as his brother Merle, but he even Dr. Ferrell could not convince Daryl to play house with her and Sophia. Daryl was striding angrily toward Dr. Ferrell and she knew a Dixon meltdown was in order.

Daryl refused to sit down once he was inside the room. Dr. Ferrell knew that Daryl was angry about being kept waiting and an angry Daryl could be trouble. He was going to appeal to the goodness in this man.

"Daryl, I am going to be a straight shooter with you. The convoy is leaving for your new home in less than an hour. I want you on that truck with Carol and Sophia beside you. They need you and you need them. Congratulations, you just won the marriage lottery."

Daryl stared at him, "What the hell are you talking about. I ain't marrying nobody. Dixons are shitty to their women and kids. Chapter one, verse one in the Bible of Dixon." Dr. Ferrell had called him in several times to just talk and Daryl had told him more that he meant to about his life. Now the old man was trying to "cure" him by giving him a wife and child. Fucker.

"You aren't marrying Carol today, but you are going to move into a house with her today and help her keep her daughter alive. She can't do it without you, Daryl. No one person can do that now and especially a woman without fighting skills. Sophia needs you. Carol needs you." Dr. Ferrell gave Daryl a pat on the shoulder which the other man shoved off of him.

"Get Rick to do it. He'd be good to her." Daryl wanted Carol and Sophia to have the best chance to make it and Rick was the best choice.

"Rick has already been assigned to someone else. Someone who doesn't have children. Carol isn't going to expect you to be her husband. She needs a friend. You don't get to have sex with her unless she agrees and I don't that is on the table right now. You'll have your own room. Daryl, Carol needs time to process the death of her husband and not be pressured into another relationship. You don't want a relationship either. This is a win-win for both of you."

Daryl shifted back and forth, "I need to be looking for my brother."

Merle Dixon had been on a run in Atlanta when he became out of control and Rick Grimes had handcuffed him to a rooftop in Atlanta. The group had left and then came back the next day to find Merle had gotten out of the handcuffs by using a hacksaw to cut the handcuffs loose. Merle had disappeared and Daryl still felt guilty about not finding him.

"I promise you this, Daryl. I will put Merle Dixon's name on our hit list. If he shows up anywhere I'll be notified and I'll send him to you at Fort DeNovo. That the name of the community that will be your new home. De Novo. New start."

Daryl took a new tack, "Carol won't do it. She is scared of me, of her own shadow, and you can't expect her to live with me."

Dr. Ferrell knew he had him now. He was just going to set the hook so that Daryl wouldn't make a leap for freedom. "Your actions speak louder than your words. I see on the notes for your interviews that twice you asked that Carol and Sophia be given priority for our safest community. Daryl, there isn't a completely safe haven anywhere and she and Sophia are safest when you are looking out for them."

Daryl was beaten and Dr. Ferrell called Carol back in. They looked at him and not at each other but he was satisfied with this coupling. He left them with this happy quip, "My first name is Rahmiel and if you want to name your first son after me, I'd be pleased."

Carol said through clenched teeth, "Goodbye, Dr. Rahmiel Ferrell."

Daryl muttered, "Fucker."

Dr. Ferrell was there when their group climbed aboard the transport truck. He was hugged by everyone leaving today but Daryl who managed a last glare. Then Daryl helped Carol up on the truck and then boosted Sophia up to her mother. Dr. Ferrell limped closer and hugged Daryl, "You're a good man, Daryl Dixon".

Daryl pulled himself up on the truck and sat down by Sophia, "Let's get our asses in gear. I ain't got all day."

Carol gave him an eye roll and Sophia giggled. Daryl nodded at Dr. Ferrell. He wished he had hugged him back because he was going to miss that old man.

Carol and Andrea sat beside of each other in the truck. Andrea had been paired with the single father Rick Grimes. Next was Morgan, Ginny, and Duane Jones. Glenn was sitting beside of Maggie Greene and her little sister Beth. Their dad had resisted being taken to a resettling camp until they brought a helicopter in and flew him to see a herd. One long look at a massive herd had sent the veterinarian home to pack. Billy, Otis, and Patricia were apparently going to be together.

The convoy had picked up three men along the road. The leader introduced himself as Philip Blake. He had shaken hands with everyone in their truck showing an old fashioned friendly courtesy that Carol didn't trust to be more than a facade. She didn't like the way that he looked at Sophia and Beth and the attention he gave all the women.

Daryl had given him a cold stare when Philip came to him and said, "This is my daughter Sophia and my wife Carol."

Philip's mask of geniality stayed in place but Carol saw something reptilian in the way he looked at Daryl. "A beautiful family, you're a lucky man." Daryl's eyes flickered toward hers and Carol made an imperceptible nod. They both distrusted Philip.

Philip had moved on to Andrea and Rick stirred to life holding out his hand, "I'm Rick Grimes, my wife Andrea, and our son Carl."

Philip said something polite and innocuous and then moved on.

Sophia went to sleep leaning on Daryl. She had taken the news that Daryl would be living with them surprisingly well and she had actually smiled when Daryl introduced her as his daughter.

The group had been told that Camp De Novo was in North Carolina and Carol knew that they had been in North Carolina for a couple of hours. They must be close.

The highway they were traveling on had been cleared for travel but the sides of the road were littered with vehicles. Carol chose not to think about that. She was noting the resources that might be useful and she had a feeling that Daryl was too.

Daryl turned to Carol, "You got a paper and pencil. We might need some of this."

She held up a small notebook that had a small attached pen. "You see the propane distributor?"

He nodded. "I think we're getting close. Hang close now. Might be some trouble getting in." He handed her a knife. "Aim for the eye socket."

Carol took the knife which was clean and well kept. "Thank you."

The convoy left the highway and turned right onto a narrow road and the walkers that had been easy to ignore when they were traveling seventy miles an hour were up close and personal at lower speeds. Daryl woke Sophia up gently, "Wake up, girl. Gotta be ready for anything at any time. You understand."

Sophia yawned, "Yes, papa." Her face looked innocent but there was a mischievous look on her face. Carol decided that she was going to have a talk with Sophia soon about that attitude. Daryl shrugged his shoulders at Carol and did a bad job of hiding his smirk.

Sophia sat up and tied her shoes tightly. It was a tell that she was afraid and Carol gripped her knife the way the soldiers at the resettling camp had shown her. Daryl had his bow out and a bolt in his hand.

Abruptly the convoy started up a steep hill and Carol grabbed the side of the truck to keep from sliding toward the back. Daryl braced himself and pushed Sophia back toward her. The convoy went through an open gate and continued along a paved road until all the vehicles were safely inside. There was a burst of automatic rifle fire and the gates were pushed shut by soldiers.

The soldiers let them out in front of a large building and they were ushered inside by armed troops. Carol could see a large open plain in the middle and clusters of houses around the perimeter of half of the fenced in area.

It felt like the first day of school. They were given a seat and a pep talk about building a community. Then Major Brown would call out a list of names and that group would leave with two soldiers. Their group was the last called. Carol was relieved to see that she knew everyone in her group and they were walked over to their cluster of houses. Five houses in a sort of cul de sac. The Greenes in one, Otis, Patricia, and Billy in the second house, Morgan, Ginny, and Duane, Rick, Andrea, and Carl in the fourth house, and the last house was for her, Sophia, and Daryl. Daryl entered the house first and went all through it before he let Carol and Sophia in. He came back out, "Home, sweet home."

There were two bedrooms upstairs with a bath between and a bigger bedroom downstairs with its own bath. Daryl dropped his stuff in there and Carol and Sophia went upstairs to check out their rooms. Not large, everything was very dusty, and there was a bed and dresser in the bedrooms. The living room had a couch and a chair. There was a small table in the dining room and a refrigerator, a gas range, and a sink in the kitchen. The cabinets had dishes, pots and pans, glasses, and silverware.

"Momma, may I got out to play with Carl?" Sophia had dropped her bag off in her room.

"No, we need you to help clean up your room." Daryl announced before Carol could give permission.

Carol gave him an annoyed look but said, "Sophia, you need to get your room dusted and mopped. The soldiers are bringing sheets and blankets in a few minutes."

Sophia grabbed a bucket and a few cleaning rags and went upstairs. Daryl turned to Carol, "Don't want her out of our sight until I have checked everything out. That damn boy runs loose too much."

Carol smiled at him, "Yes, papa". He blushed. Daryl was right. Sophia should help and Rick didn't know where Carl was half the time. She wondered how Andrea would handle sudden motherhood.

Daryl cleaned his room and then he and Rick fiddled with the range and the hot water heater to get them lit. The major had announced that each cluster of houses had its own well that worked through solar energy. The houses had solar panels for lights and to work the refrigerator. Propane fueled the range and hot water heater.

Daryl disappeared as Carol and Sophia cleaned the kitchen. Sophia asked nonchalantly, "Is Daryl going to be your husband?"

Carol kept her voice level. "Daryl and I are going to take care of you. He and I are going to be friends."

"Daryl will be a good husband for you. He can talk all tough sometimes but he isn't mean inside. Not like daddy was. De novo mean new start. Maybe we all get a new start here. I get a new papa and you get a new husband. I guess Daryl gets us." Sophia grinned, "Me and Daryl have that zen thing going on."

Dinner that night was in the mess hall for the soldiers. Food would be distributed tomorrow after breakfast and families were expected to eat together from then on. Work assignments would be given out tomorrow morning as well. Carol watched Philip Blake flutter from one group to the other introducing himself. He wanted to establish himself as a man in charge. The army was running the place right now but they weren't going to stay forever. The two men with him were henchmen ready to do his bidding.

Daryl nudged her, "That asshole is going to be trouble."

She kept her eyes on Philip Blake when she replied, "Satan was turned into a snake after he tempted Adam and Eve and that man is a snake in the grass."

The houses all had front porches with a swing on them and Carol and Andrea sat on the swing and talked. Carl, Sophia, and Duane were out in the yard in front of the house playing. Rick and Daryl had decided to take a stroll around the place. It was cool on the front porch with the evening breeze and Carol relaxed for the first time today. She loved hanging out with Andrea.

Andrea leaned back against the swing and regarded her fingernails critically. "I need a manicure and a pedicure. I'm going to bed Rick tonight."

Carol admired the way Andrea could just come out and say what was on her mind. Andrea was more worried about the state of her hands and feet than having sex with Rick. "Don't you think it is a little soon?"

"I still miss my vibrator and I notice in that box of toiletries and feminine hygiene supplies so generously provided by the army there wasn't one included. I'll just have to go old school and bang the husband tonight." Andrea smirked.

"I can imagine an army vibrator now, camouflaged, but someone would have forgotten to order the batteries." Carol dared to be funny.

Andrea laughed, "Good one, now back to me 'cause I am so damn interesting. I like Rick whenever he isn't infuriating me with his bossiness. He needs to get laid even more than I do. It will be an act of kindness to release some of that tension. I might as well break him in right."

"Have you told Rick that you are going to make all his wet dreams come true?"

Andrea laughed again, "You are all saucy tonight. I think marriage to Daryl has been good for you. I know that you are planning a life of celibacy and denial but sooner or later you are going to give him a bath and fuck him. Just make sure you do it in that order. Bath or shower first, then fucking."

Carol blushed but chose to ignore it, "Daryl and I are going to be partners, not playmates. Watch your mouth because the kids might be listening."

Her friend lowered her voice, "This is the way this is all going to work out. You two will bond for a while. Share old war stories. Waste lots of time working in UST and then you will bone. That is the way it's gonna roll."

"What's UST?" Sometimes Andrea lost her in translation.

"Unresolved Sexual Tension. Now don't take too long to get around to some action. We're in the middle of a ZA here. No promise of tomorrow and I can't wait to see that dazed look on Daryl's face after you two get together."

"Let's talk about something else." Carol changed the subject and on cue Rick and Daryl came around the house toward the porch.

It wasn't long before everyone left and Carol's crew went inside. Sophia went upstairs to read. Carol got a glass of cold water for herself and one for Daryl. "What did you find when you were out scouting?"

Daryl sat in the chair and drank half a glass of water in one long gulp, "The fences are fairly secure. The army will take off one of these days and it will be our job to maintain them. Rick talked to some guy on watch. This place was some sort of militia headquarters a few years ago. The government busted them for making meth and bombs here and confiscated the place for their own use."

Carol drank some water while Daryl talked. That was the most she had ever heard him say. "We'll need to get ready for winter," she ventured.

"Yeah, we'll have to go on runs and stock up before some other group grabs it. You need some new clothes and boots. Can't wear those floppy shoes when you are being chased by a walker. Need to find a pistol and a rifle for you and Sophia. I'm going to sit out on the porch for a while. I'll lock up." Daryl stood up and she took his glass from him.

"Goodnight Daryl." She went on upstairs to find Sophia already asleep. Ed had chosen her clothes for her and she had always hated the clothes and his need to control her. Daryl was doing the same thing but his motivation was completely different. Daryl wanted clothes that would help keep her safe. _I don't care. I am picking my own clothes from now on._

C


	2. Simpatico

Simpatico

Daryl shut the door behind him and stepped out onto the porch. He sat down on the top porch step and listened to the sounds of a summer night. North Carolina nighttime didn't sound all that different from Georgia nighttime and he was glad that something was the same. He had started today in Georgia thinking that once his group got their new assignment he would just disappear. Then, Dr. Ferrell had used some hocus-pocus on his ass and the next thing he knew he was in some truck with a kid hanging on his arm.

He cheered himself up thinking that he could just disappear right now. Grab his bow and some water and take off over that fence. Find a vehicle out there on the highway and skedaddle back to Georgia and look for Merle. Rick and Morgan would look after Carol. Sophia had already had one shitty daddy so she sure didn't need his redneck ass around, but hadn't he promised Dr. Ferrell that he would protect Carol and Sophia? The man had hugged him today and called him "A good man".

He took a last longing look at the fence in the moonlight. He couldn't leave a little girl who called him "papa" and went to sleep on his arm like he was someone she could trust not to let her fall. He couldn't leave a woman wearing floppy shoes without any real fighting skills. They needed him and that scared him more than a herd of walkers.

Daryl stood up and stretched. He thought about taking a walk around the place again, but that would leave Carol and Sophia alone in the house. He went back inside the house and locked the front door and checked the back door to make sure it was secure. He saw the two freshly washed glasses on the dish drainer and thought of the way Carol had handed him that water. She was naturally thoughtful. She was getting herself a glass and she must have thought that he would be thirsty. He hadn't even thanked her because wasn't used to someone doing considerate things for him.

This house was already the cleanest place he had ever lived and he was careful not to dirty his bathroom. His bed had been moved so that it caught the breeze and he turned off the light and stretched out on the big bed. Daryl was suddenly uncomfortably aware of how much room there was on that bed. It was designed for two adults and he had the sudden unwanted thought of Carol being in that bed with him. All the blood that wasn't rushing to his face was rushing to his dick. It really didn't have a conscience. It didn't care that Daryl had made it clear to Carol today that he wasn't interested in having sex with her. It did want to. His dick was letting him know that it wasn't a bit happy with him for denying them both something that they wanted. Not that Carol was offering to join him in bed; but his dick was going through an optimistic spell lately. He wanted it to go back to its usual depressed state, easily maintained with a little self-love.

Dr. Ferrell was some kind of fucking mind reader. Daryl had kept his interest in Carol from every one. He didn't understand it himself, but he knew it wasn't just sexual attraction. It was more of a concern for her. She had been treated like shit by her husband and he knew too well the brutality of an abuser. His back was visual testimony and he has spent most of his lifetime hiding the evidence. He understood Carol in a way that Andrea never would; the shame and confusion of the abused was a mystery to those who had never been hurt over and over by someone in power over them. He just felt sorry for her and that and how attractive she was had thrown him off course.

Daryl went through his list of Carol's physical attributes. Crystal blue eyes and cute freckles were at the top of the list. Daryl was honest enough with himself to admit that he put those in the list after her ass and tits but her eyes deserved top billing because they were amazing. She also had long legs and her hands were slender with long tapering fingers.

This evening he had sat with her and talked about this place and what they would need to do to survive. Words had just rolled off his tongue like she was his damn best friend and where did that some from? Like Carol was interested in what he had to say and that he wanted to talk to her. Like they had a lot in common. They had suspicion of Philip Blake in common. Maybe all the shit that they had been through made them simpatico. On the same wavelength. Partners. He liked the sound of that. Partners were equal; one wasn't in power over the other. He thought Carol would like that too.

Carol had woken once in the night and had checked on Sophia. The weak moonlight showered down on her sleeping daughter who was as safe here as she been anytime in her life. Carol felt safer. Walkers were less monstrous than Ed because they couldn't control what they were and they had no real pleasure in what they did. Beside that you could shoot them in the head and you didn't get sent to prison.

She went back to her single bed and relished the feeling of being alone without being really alone. Sophia was next door and Daryl was downstairs. She could read a book, or sew, or laugh at Andrea's outrageous comments without fear. This little house already felt like more of a home than the much large and expensive one she and Sophia had existed in before. No Ed. God, it felt good to know that he was never going to touch her again. She was done with that.

Daryl must feel the same way; he had been forthright that he wasn't interested in sex with her. He was here because he wanted to keep Sophia safe. Carol wasn't interested with Daryl or anyone else but she would have agreed if he had insisted. She would do anything for Sophia and Daryl probably knew that.

Daryl was an enigma to her. He had scarcely spoken to her before today. Their group had survived the quarry, the CDC, and were in a traffic jam on a highway when an army patrol had scooped them up and taken them to the resettlement camp. Daryl had not seem particularly friendly with anyone there. Then, today he agreed to this odd arrangement with her and he and Rick were hanging out.

This evening he had sat down with her and talked about this place and what they needed to do for winter. He acted as if he valued her ideas. She felt comfortable with him. He wasn't going to hurt her and that was a strange way for her to feel about any man. Ed had beaten all the trust out of her years ago, but when her eyes met Daryl's she knew he was nothing like Ed. He was a good man, a man of honor. She was lucky to have him in her life. They had a lot in common and one of those commonalities was a visceral distrust of Philip Blake.

Carol woke early to the smell of coffee. She loved coffee and she showered and dressed quickly. Daryl was ready to go. His hair was still wet from his shower, he had shaved, and was wearing clean clothes. He was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. He nodded at her and stood up and poured her a cup of coffee, "It's black."

"It's coffee. Where did you get coffee?" She knew he had probably stole it from somewhere but she drinking it so she wasn't going to be all judgmental.

"I might have found it last night when Rick and I were sort of wandering through the army storehouses. Hey, Rick took some too." Daryl gave a sort of half smile. She had never seen him laugh and she wondered what a laughing Daryl would look like.

"Rick Grimes was out pilfering coffee? You are a corrupting influence". Carol realized that she was halfway flirting with Daryl and she drank some more coffee before she said anything else.

"Now if you don't want to be corrupted, you can give it back." Daryl reached a hand out to get her cup.

Carol stood up, "I'll just take my corrupting coffee upstairs and get Sophia up and ready." She thought that Daryl was probably hungry and would go on without her and Sophia. "Sophia drags her heels in he morning."

"I'll wait here with the coffee."

She realized that Daryl was nervous about this morning. He didn't want to go eat by himself, "I'll go get Sophia."

Rick and Carl were downstairs talking to Daryl when she and Sophia came into the kitchen. They wound up walking over together. Rick and Daryl in the front, the children in the middle, and she and Andrea dragging behind talking.

"Rick is looking a little dazed this morning," Carol teased.

Andrea snickered, "He never had a chance. I gave him the best night of his life and he damn well knows it too. He was so damn noble. He was refusing to take advantage of the situation until I reminded him that we aren't promised tomorrow and I wanted to feel alive tonight."

"This is me changing the subject. How is Carl taking the new arrangement?"

"Carl hates me and I hope he never gets a gun because I think I am first on his hit list. I hope he will mellow out when he realizes that I am here for the duration. Daryl is looking incredibly clean this morning. So did you give him a bath last night?"

Carol laughed, "No, I did not. He showered all by himself. We're platonic friends. That isn't going to change."

Andrea shrugged, "Your call. I get that. Too soon. Just saying that we really aren't promised tomorrow and you and Daryl look comfortable together. Daryl looks less feral than usual. Like an outside cat that came in from the cold and wants to curl up by the fire. You being the fire, of course."

Morgan, Ginny, and Duane ate breakfast with them. The teachers took the children after they finished to the building that was going to be the schoolhouse.

Major Nelson ushered the adults to a small auditorium and waited until they settled down. "Let's get to it. Dr. Ferrell and his staff gave you a series of tests and spoke with you personally while you were at the resettlement center. They compiled a list of recommendations for certain jobs and we intend to honor those suggestions. We aren't going to start switching things around so don't ask."

There was a murmur of voices, but no complaints. "No work, no food" was understood by all attending.

"We expect that De Novo will be a self-sustaining community within a year. We will turn the reins over to you as soon as we can. The head of agriculture will be Dr. Hershel Greene." Major Nelson read off a list of names of people on Hershel's crew. Carol didn't recognize any of them.

"Dr. Ferrell realized that procuring needed supplies would be dangerous and require a leader who would be cautious but not afraid. His choice for that job was Daryl Dixon." Daryl was looking a little panicked and she thought, _he's spent his life following his brother around and Dr. Ferrell has given him another tough job._

"Dr. Ferrell knew that storage and allocation of resources is an important job. He wanted some one who had organizational skills and who would be tough enough to protect the supplies. He chose Morgan and Ginny Jones."

"Security and law and order are essential and he chose Rick Grimes to be the head of security."

The medical personnel were next and Carol hoped that she might get chosen for that.

"Dr. Ferrell wanted someone in charge of maintaining the houses. He wanted people who could do light maintenance and who would see that all the homes were prepared for winter. He chose Carol Peletier and Andrea Harrison. They also have other jobs. Andrea will serve as a judge when needed and Carol will be in charge of natural medicines. Dr. Ferrell sent a load of books on herbal medicines for you, Carol." Carol was relieved that she was working with Andrea in assessing the houses and she was secretly delighted to be studying herbal medicines.

Major Nelson droned on but Carol stopped paying attention. She was conscious that Philip Blake was looking angry. She knew why. The powerful positions had been given Hershel, Daryl, Morgan and Ginny, Rick, and Andrea. Philip wanted to be in a position to reward his followers. Major Nelson had warned them at the beginning that they weren't changing assignments. What would a man like Philip do to get power?

The rest of the morning was spent gathering supplies from the storehouse. Keys to houses were handed out and she and Andrea were given the passkeys into every house. They were on their own this afternoon and tomorrow they would begin their duties.

The soldiers helped everyone to get their supplies to their houses. Daryl was leaving when Carol got home after picking up Sophia from school.

"I'm going hunting. Need to get out." Daryl wasn't in a talking mood.

"I'll make you a couple of sandwich to take with you. What time do you want dinner?"

Daryl snarled, "Just eat without me. Don't know when I'll get back."

Carol finished the sandwiches and filled his canteen with water. Daryl needed time and space to process the last twenty four hours. She handed everything to Daryl. "We're eating at six. I'll save you a plate."

It was a productive afternoon for Carol. She organized their supplies and made lists of things that would be needed if they were to live here from now on. She and Andrea brainstormed for a bit about their job and then just sat on the front porch and talked. Dinner was ready at six o'clock and Daryl came wandering back at fifteen until six.

He was covered with dirt and sweat. His clothes were filthy but he looked to be in a better humor. "I'll just clean up. Won't take a minute." He was carrying a large backpack and he carried it with him to his room.

They ate at the kitchen table. It was their first meal together in the house and Carol thought it went well. Daryl asked Sophia about school and complimented Carol on the food. Then he lapsed into silence concentrating on his meal. Carol had made jello popsicles for dessert because Sophia had always loved it. Daryl ate his share. Carol suspected that he loved sweets as much as anyone else.

Carol cleared the table and started the dishes. Sophia had asked to be excused to the porch and Daryl stayed in his seat. He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry I was rude to you. I had no right to talk to you that way."

Carol sat down at the table. Daryl was actually making eye contact and she found herself staring at his blue eyes. There was an openness to his expression that she had never seen from him before. He was always so guarded and he seemed to have dropped his defenses for once. His eyes were glued to hers and for a long moment she stared back. She dropped her gaze then and go up from the table, "You talk that way again and you aren't getting anymore jello popsicles." _Damn_, she thought, _I sound like I am flirting again_.

Daryl looked startled but he recovered enough to say, "Playing hardball, threatening to cut off the jello. Damn, you win. Game over."

Rick and Morgan were at the door just then and Daryl went outside with them. Carol finished the few dishes and then gathered up some courage to go over to Andrea and ask if she wanted to take a walk. Sophia and the boys followed her. Both Andrea and Ginny wanted out of the house and the evening was spent walking and talking with her friends. Carol let the others do most of the talking. _I am never going to ask permission to leave my house again._

Daryl was sitting on the porch steps when she and Sophia got back. "Thought I was gonna have to send the high sherrif of De Novo to find you, but he said that Andrea and Carl were among the missing. It's gonna rain." He seemed cheerful enough and he followed them into the house, "Got some stuff to show you."

Carol looked at the cloudless blue sky starting to darken into twilight. "It doesn't look like rain."

The large backpack was on the living room floor and Daryl took a kitchen chair and sat down. "Been out checking out the neighborhood." He opened up the bag and brought out some food, clothing, and a pair of women's boots. "Might be the right size". He set the food out of the way.

Carol looked at the boots. Brown with lots of buckles. "I'll try them on." He handed them to her and they did fit. "Thank you."

Daryl handed Sophia some t-shirts, "Might be a little big". He handed her a sketch pad and some drawing pencils. He must have noticed that she liked to draw. Sophia was delighted but she remembered her manners, "Thank you, papa."

Daryl unearthed two cans of coffee and a bottle of whiskey. "If you share your coffee with me I'll be willing to share the whiskey."

_Do not flirt, do not flirt. _"Sounds fair to me."

Daryl handed her a bag. "Look through that to see if there is anything you might want." His face was a little red and she took it without comment.

Sophia kissed Carol good night and gave Daryl a hard hit to the forearm. "Going to bed. See you in the morning.

Daryl helped her put the food away. "You got time to talk?"

She nodded suddenly on edge. _He came back apologetic and with gifts. Like Ed._

Daryl brought out two glasses and poured a small amount of whiskey in each glass. They both sat down. Carol waited.

"I got scared today when they told me I was in charge of run. I ain't never been in charge of anything in my life, not even me really. Just cold-trailed Merle around trying to keep him out of jail." He took a tiny sip of his drink.

"Dr. Ferrell picked you, he knew all that about you." Carol took a tiny sip as well.

"I don't know how runs work for a group this big. How do you convince a man to leave these walls and go out there just to bring everything back to share with everyone else?" Daryl took another sip, "It ain't natural. A man wants to provide for his family, so I came up with a plan. The men and women on a run are allowed to fill up a backpack for their family. The rest goes to the group. What do you think?"

Carol took a few moments to think about it, "I think that makes sense. You'll have to train them before they go out. I think you are the only Dixon in the bunch." She risked a smile at him, _I'm being friendly not flirty. _She took another sip.

"Men on their own are all fucked up. Drunks or dopers. Losers. Just drifting along. Dr. Ferrell knew that. That is why he paired everyone up. Someone who cares whether you come home or not. Someone to talk to about the shit we're going through."

She took a deep breath, "I saw Philip Blake's face today. He was furious that he wasn't given an important job. He wants to rule this place and you, Rick, and Morgan are in his way. He and his crew will volunteer to be on runs. Don't turn your back on him, Daryl."

"Rick and Morgan will go on runs with me. I trust Glenn and Billy. Don't trust Gareth and Alec. They want to post signs along the highway telling groups to come here for sanctuary. That ain't happening. The army might pull out tomorrow and we're not ready to fight off another group. I found this today." He handed her a revolver. "That has enough power to stop a walker and I want you to wear it when you are out of the house. We'll go out to the fence on the other side and you can practice on the walker over there. Got a box of ammo too." He sipped his whiskey.

"I made some lists today about things we need." She showed him the list.

"Screens for windows and ceiling fans? This ain't no resort you know."

"Bats and bugs will get into the houses. Ceiling fans don't use much electricity and will help to cool the houses. Is there anything under this house? We might be able to make a cellar to store food down there." She took a longer drink of whiskey and felt it burn all the way down.

They finished their whiskey before they ran out of things to say but Carol said goodnight and went upstairs. The face in the bathroom mirror was slightly flushed from the whiskey and maybe from talking as an equal to Daryl. She put the pistol under her pillow and fell asleep listening to the sounds of rain on the metal roof.


	3. Sunday

Sunday

Daryl was exhausted and so was everyone else at De Novo. He leaned against the newly constructed guard tower wall and looked out over a peaceful community on a Saturday evening. Hershel had insisted that Sunday be a day of rest. Daryl had argued against wasting a day when there were so few days left until winter, but Hershel had been right. There was always going to be work to do and he needed a Sunday as much as anyone else.

The soldiers went on runs with them. Some days they did one in the morning and one in the afternoon sometimes coming back after dark. Rick, Morgan, Glenn, and Billy went on at least one run a day so he had people he could trust when he was out beyond these walls. He was conscious of time passing and he worried if they were ready for what the winter could bring. Today was the autumnal equinox and Daryl could feel a slight chill in the air signaling that winter would not be far away. It was his job to bring supplies back to the group but having supplies was no guarantee of survival. They all had jobs to do.

Rick organized the watch schedules and supervised weapons and defense training for all residents. Carol and Sophia were out there now learning how to use machetes. Daryl took out the binoculars and zeroed in on her slashing away. She seemed to sense that he was watching and she gave a wave in his direction. He waved back feeling like an idiot; you'd think he would be tired of seeing her after two months of living in the same house. He wasn't though. He saw her in the mornings for breakfast and sometimes for dinner. Even if he got home before late he would help unload whatever they brought home and look over the schedule for the next day. His dinner would be sitting on a plate on the stove when he got back. He was too tired for anything more than a shower and sleep not that Carol was offering anything more.

Carol was busy too. She and Andrea had inspected every house and came up with a list of improvements. Jim Reynolds worked with them. Nice old guy who had been plumber before he retired. Andrea's dad had been electrician working for a company by day and taking extra jobs in the evening. Andrea had went with him and he taught her the basics of home wiring.

Carol was the carpenter and their little house was being transformed into an attractive home. He and Carol had put new tiles on their kitchen floor, put in more cabinets, and a new laminate countertop in the evening after he came back from runs. He had teased her that she should have went granite and she had shook her head at him. "Too much work and too heavy." She and Andrea could have done it faster without him but he wanted to be part of it. He had gone on a run with her to choose countertop and backsplash which made him secretly happy though he had grumped the whole way. He had asked Carol where she learned her renovation skills and she laughed when she told him, "My education came from the University of You Tube and books."

Daryl was proud of their kitchen and he missed working with her now that the kitchen was finished. He was completely pussy whipped. Merle would have given him holy hell for working so hard for a woman who wasn't putting out. Merle would give him holy hell for working so hard for a woman who was putting out. Merle thought the only way you should be close to a woman was when you fucked her. Merle didn't know about Sundays and Saturday night was the beginning of Sunday.

Saturday night meant that Carl would be staying at their house tonight. There was usually a movie shown in auditorium for the residents and Carl and Sophia liked to go. Which meant that he and Carol would go too. Then they all went back to the house to play board games and eat whatever Carol had baked this afternoon. Later Carol would go upstairs and he would go to his room. He always cleaned his weapons while he listened to their chatter. Happy children were a mystery to him; they spoke a language that he had never learned. His monstrous father had made sure that he had no happy memories of his childhood. Carl and Sophia spent Saturday night as if there weren't monsters in their life. Just two kids reading comic books and talking . Eventually Sophia would get sleepy and she would drift upstairs and Carl would conk out on the couch.

The next morning Carol would cook a late breakfast and he would help. Hershel's chickens were laying lots of eggs and Carol saved most of their share for Sunday. Usually Rick and Andrea came over for breakfast and their morning shower didn't quite disguise their morning sex. Carol would roll her eyes at Andrea and Rick would barely hide his smug grin. Daryl never wasted his time being envious of their morning romp because it was Sunday.

Daryl leaned out of the tower to watch Carol walk toward him on Saturday evening. He took a quick look around to make sure that he hadn't missed anything. Daydreaming on watch. Rookie mistake.

He listened to the clop of her boots on the wooden steps and smiled. The watch tower was one room and had a 360 degree deck around it. Carol appeared at the top of the flight of stairs and Daryl was there to give her a hand up because the steps were so steep and because he wanted to touch her, "How much longer are you on watch?"

"Another hour. Glenn and Maggie are on next. Where is Sophia? You gonna stay and watch the sunset with me?" Damn, he was pathetic.

Carol smiled, "Brought you some iced tea to drink and Sophia is with Andrea. Glenn and Maggie? Let's hope the boogie men stay away tonight." She poured him a Dixie up of iced tea and one for herself and settled into a deck chair. "Beautiful evening." Daryl took a chair close to hers.

They sat in silence for a few minutes looking westward as the sun slid slowly into the distant blue mountains. Daryl wished he had the words to tell Carol how the elfin light of a dying day lit up her silver curls or that this hour would sustain him next week when a walker came too close for comfort. He never learned how to speak that language either.

"So what is the movie tonight?" He hoped it wasn't another chick flick.

"We're having an autumnal celebration. Two movies, both classic westerns". She smiled at him. Daryl loved westerns and she had bribed Karen with a plate of brownies to make the switch. "Apple pie and cider doing the intermission".

Daryl asked, "What's for supper?" He had left early for a run and lunch had been beef jerky and a sandwich.

"We're eating at Morgan and Ginny's this evening. That deer somebody hit with the truck this afternoon?"

Daryl nodded. Saturday supper was a casual affair at one of their houses.

"How was your run today?" Carol's voice was too casual. Rick must have told her that it got hairy out there today.

"Don't listen to anything Rick has to say. He likes drama. It wasn't that bad." It was over. He didn't get bit or scratched. He still had Sunday. He took a quick walk around the platform checking on the gate, the houses, the fields, and the fences. Everything was fine.

Carol wasn't in the seat when he got back and he moved to stand beside her. Every evening at sunset the soldiers took the flag down and one of their guys played, "Retreat". They watched the flag come down in silence. The music seemed to echo over the hills and valleys. Carol put her hand over his on the railing after it was over, "You'll be careful?"

Daryl put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "I'll stay safe and you'll stay safe. That's how it works". Almost dying today was making him feel all frisky. He had touched her twice since she had gotten here. Carol would get spooked and make an excuse to leave, but she only pulled away after a while and walked back toward the sunset view and sat down. Daryl took the seat beside her and they laughed about Maggie and Glenn being on watch. "Hershel must be keeping too good an eye on those two. They just want a room with a view."

Carol laughed, "They are in loooove." She drew out the last word and he watched how her eyes danced when she was amused. Daryl drank iced tea and let the strain of the run flow off him.

Maggie and Glenn were on time. Daryl started down the steep stairs, "I'll go down first". Maggie and Glenn laughed and Carol gave them a reproving look. Daryl helped her down the stairs and kept his hand on her arm as they walked toward Morgan's house.

That night Carol sat on her narrow bed and thought about Daryl. She could name at least five women here who would jump at the chance to be with him. Yet, Daryl's eyes followed her and his hand was on her arm. He wanted her. It felt strange to be wanted by a kind man after Ed. He wanted sex to be painful and degrading and those memories were so deep within her that she didn't know if they ever could be exorcised.

What would Daryl be like as a lover? He was careful with touch. He patted Sophia on the back gently and he put his hand on her arm cautiously. This evening he had put his arm around her and she surprised herself by wanting to stay there. He might have died today. Rick said it was "close" whatever that meant. Carol wished that she could wipe all her bad memories away and just be the woman that she wanted to be. The woman who leaned against Daryl on the platform and the woman who was waiting for him on their bed when he came in from a run.

_It was a typical Sunday breakfast,_ Carol thought, _Morgan and Ginny brought biscuits and homemade blackberry jam. Rick and Andrea brought themselves and a relaxed attitude due not doubt because they had spent their morning in bed. _

Sophia and Carl cleaned the living room and set the table. Daryl washed pot and pans and helped her in the kitchen. Everyone ate too much and, there were at least three conversations going on any time. Then Rick and Morgan did the dishes while Carol went upstairs to change and Daryl got everything ready for their plant gathering expedition. Carol came down dressed for the woods and kissed Sophia goodbye. Sophia always stayed with Andrea and Rick while she and Daryl went looking for medicinal plants.

Daryl carried the bag to the car and they were off, through the gate and down the steep road. "Where are we going today?"

Daryl said, "It's about ten miles from here. There is a good size creek and some pasture, but its mostly woods." Carol enjoyed the scenery. She rarely left De Novo and that made Sunday even more special.

Daryl parked the truck behind a clump of bushes. He carried the bag and his bow on his back. She wore her pistol, a machete, and a knife. There was an automatic rifle in the bag, but Carol wasn't particularly worried. She and Daryl had been spending Sundays looking for plants for the last two months without a serious scare.

Daryl led the way and she followed. He moved as silently as a shadow in the woods and he had taught her to be nearly as quiet as he was. Carol saw an apple orchard and she pointed that out to Daryl. They could bring a group back this week to harvest the apples. There were chickens in the yard and they could be captured and added to their flock at De Novo.

They didn't come out of the shelter of the woods. Together they examined plants and bushes that might yield medicine. Carol knew that most medications tended to degrade over time and these plants might be all that was left to treat illnesses. Dr. Ferrell had given her this task and she didn't want to disappoint him.

They ate lunch on a rock that overlooked the valley and shared a thermos of water. They had found a big patch of ginseng but Carol had left it. "I don't think so."

Daryl smirked, "Are you sure? We have some old guys that might appreciate it."

Carol rolled her eyes at him, "When one of the older women ask me to find some ginseng for their husbands we can come back. We collected enough marijuana to be sent to a federal penitentiary. I hope that Rick doesn't bust us." Carol knew that pot did have a few medical benefits. "Are you ready to go? We might find an herb garden in one of those houses."

Daryl stood up, "We can always pick up some extra money by selling pot. Make Sophia sell it. She needs to earn her keep."

"I'll just put it in the brownies whenever Rick gets all stressed out. Chill his ass out." They both howled with laughter at the thought of a stoned Rick.

Carol was tired by the time they got back to the truck. Their bag was filled with herb and plants. Daryl took the rifle out and put it in the truck. "Turn around." Carol pulled up her top and Daryl checked for ticks. He put his fingers through her hair slowly and checked her clothing. "You're okay."

He turned around and pulled up his shirt. Carol checked his back, hair, and clothing for ticks. Daryl had checked her after their first trip and made an excuse to avoid being checked. She had let it go until their third trip. Daryl had stared at her angrily when she had asked him to turn around, but she held his gaze until he turned around. He had pulled his shirt up and Carol made no sound. She put her hands on Daryl's back and massaged his muscles until he relaxed them. She ran her fingers through his hair and rubbed his scalp until he sighed and leaned into her hands. She had held him for a long minute until he rubbed his eyes and stepped back.

Carol never asked him about the scars, but she realized that Daryl must have spent a lifetime hiding them. Daryl showing her his scars was his most intimate act of trust. She was able to talk to Daryl about her life with Ed after that and Daryl talked about his father and Merle. But their conversation wasn't always about their past sorrows. Sometimes they teased each other, told funny stories about their day, and gossiped about their friends.

Their trips to the woods were more than looking for healing plants. They shared the good and bad of their lives during the long hours walking and talking. The quiet of the woods was soothing and they both relaxed and let down their guards as if recognizing that the other posed no danger to them.

They were back in the truck and headed for De Novo when Carol had asked, "What do you want? What would make going through all this worth it?"

He glanced at her, "I want to be your man and Sophia's father and I want our friends to live."

"I would disappoint you. I don't think I have it in me to trust anyone like that again. I think that part of me is gone. I love Sophia, but I don't have anything else to give." Carol didn't want Daryl to waste himself on a woman like her.

"I don't believe that. You love all those free loaders at our house for breakfast. I think you love me. Do you trust me?" Daryl's voice was sure.

"I trust you with my life, but you aren't the problem. I am."

"Come to my bed tonight. Just sleep beside me and let me hold you. We can take this as slow as we need to. I ain't no red hot lover. If you get to feeling uncomfortable, go back upstairs."

Carol didn't say anything else the rest of the way home. She spent most of the evening working on labeling and preserving her plants. Daryl was planning a run with Glenn and Rick tomorrow and Sophia helped her.

Daryl came back as she was finishing up. He did his last check of the doors of the house. Sophia tapped him on the shoulder, "Goodnight, Abba. You be careful tomorrow." He gave her a quizzical look and a one armed hug, "Gotta be careful. Got you two waiting on me."

Carol went upstairs and took a shower. She put on a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt and went in to see Sophia. Her baby was asleep and Carol went downstairs to Daryl's room.

He was checking the bags that they kept under his bed. Three backpacks filled with supplies in case that they had to run. He pushed the bags back under the bed. "Just checking to make sure we had put the iodine tablets in."

Carol sat down on the bed, "Just being close, right?"

Daryl nodded, "I have to get up early in the morning. So let me sleep closest to the door. Don't want to wake you."

Carol crawled over to the wall side of the bed, "I'll wake up." She brought the covers up, "Its cooler tonight. A good frost will kill the plants."

Daryl scooted in beside her, "We might have another couple of weeks anyway. What do you think of that last house we looked at as default house."

"It has potential. Within a day's walk. Water nearby." They looked for plants and planned their exit strategy on Sunday. Just in case things went bad here.

"Philip and Martinez are going with me tomorrow." Daryl could never remember the other guy's name. He and Carol called him Mute Man.

"Half of the soldiers are leaving this week. He won't make a move while they are here and you are bringing all the supplies in." Carol had decided that Philip was biding his time.

"He has Gareth, Alex, and Mary on his side. They have stopped talking about this place being a sanctuary, but they don't have the cajones to go out and do runs. They are lazy little hipsters too. Hershel kicked them off the farm crew because they wouldn't work."

"Where are you going tomorrow?"

"Going west toward the mountains to scout out some farms. Hershel thinks there might be cattle out there that we could bring back and butcher or winter them on a farm close by. What are you doing?"

"Andrea and I are wiring the new greenhouse for lights and we're checking out Philip's apartment." Philip had managed to score an apartment in the administrative building.

Daryl moved closer to her, "You ain't Nancy Drew. Stay away from him." He put his hand on her shoulder and kissed her lightly on her lips. "Goodnight, Carol." He turned back toward the front.

"Goodnight, Daryl."

"Carol, why did Sophia call me Abba? They were a band a long time ago?"

"I don't think she meant you were a dancing queen. Abba is Aramaic for "Daddy. It's in the Bible." Carol and Sophia had attended church as regularly as Ed allowed. Sophia had rarely called Ed anything but "sir". Sophia was never impolite to her father; but she had never given him nicknames, hugged him goodnight without being ordered to, or looked at him with absolute trust the way she did Daryl.

"Daddy? Well, maybe I won't make her sell the pot to her friends".

Carol laughed, "Goodnight, Daryl."

AN

Ginseng is believed to have some medical benefits including improving sexual function in men. It does have some less desirable side effects and Carol doesn't want anyone to die for "love".

I appreciate your reviews. Just saying.


	4. Comrades in Arms

Comrades in Arms

Michonne wiped the sweat off her face as she drove toward the camp. It was hot and humid here in coastal Georgia in late July and there would probably be a thunderstorm later. A few weeks ago she had been an attorney for a prominent Savannah law firm, lived in an upscale apartment, and drove an expensive import. Life was very good and her greatest source of joy was her son Andre. Her job, her apartment, and her car were gone now, but losing those thing didn't bother her. She still had her baby boy.

Everything in her life had changed since then. The dead now refused to go gentle into that good night and instead reanimated into beings with a taste for long pork. The world went predictably to shit and she and Andre were living in a tent in a government camp. The good news was that she would never have to pay off all her student loans. That was all the good news there was.

Andre was back at the camp with his father Michael and their friend Terry. She pushed back her anger that both men had refused to go on runs preferring to stay in the safety of the camp while others went out to get supplies. Michonne had chosen to be one of those that went out.

She had been jumpy all day and had wanted to stay close to Andre, but they were low on essential supplies and Michonne had gone reluctantly. Her voice was sharp as she reminded Michael that Andre was walking now and into everything. The good looks and smooth manner that attracted her to Michael in Savannah had disguised his innate selfishness. Their relationship had been on the rocks before the dead decided their idea of a happy meal had you as the entree. The romance was pretty much game over now. She just needed his help to keep Andre alive.

Michonne saw that she was getting close to the gates of the camp. She would be back with Andre in just a few minutes. There were too many of the dead walking along the road and she hoped that the gatekeepers were paying attention and would have the gates open so she she could drove the big truck through quickly. She swerved to miss a zombie and the man beside her said, "Oh, shit".

Michonne looked toward the camp and saw that the gates were down on the ground. Michonne automatically stopped the truck stepping out of the vehicle with her pistol and machete. Her mind was registering the sight of the undead roaming around but she moved toward the camp without fear of them. Her sole concern at this point was finding Andre and she steered away from their gaping jaws as she ran over the downed gates and through the camp looking for Andre.

There were less of the dead at the back of the camp where their tent was and she opened the tent to find no one inside. Andre's diaper bag was gone and she whirled toward Terry's tent. He and Michael were lying on the ground outside the tent half eaten. Andre wasn't there but she could see drug paraphernalia lying on the floor of the tent and she knew that they had gotten high, again. Where was Andre?

Michonne continued to look and call out for Andre, but there was no trace of him. She went back to Michael and Terry and used her machete to split their skulls open. Her son was gone and apparently they had done nothing to protect Andre. After her rage was spent she climbed over the fence that had failed to keep them safe and just kept going.

She had barely made the tree line when she saw the dim outline of a man standing back in the trees. She was too numb to register fear. It was what it was.

He stepped forward so that the light fell on his face and she recognized him as a man who had been in their camp. He looked at her and she knew he was checking to see if she was one of them. He smiled suddenly and said, "I have some good news for you." He went back behind the cover of the trees and came back out with Andre.

Michonne rushed forward to take Andre into her arms. She dropped the machete and the man grabbed the machete and put down a couple of zombies that must have followed her out. She was weeping and hugging Andre.

The man said, "Don't want to interrupt your reunion but we need to get the hell out of here. I see more of the notdead headed this way." He ran toward the bush and came back with two bags and she recognized one as Andre's diaper bag "Come on."

Michonne looked toward the camp and saw way too many notdeads headed their way. "Let's go." He led the way through the woods and she followed him.

"Stay close." He said and she did. There were notdeads roaming around freely in these woods and she couldn't be much help while she was carrying Andre. They came to a truck in a clearing and he said, "Get in". He held the passenger door open and she jumped in with Andre as he took out two zombies that had been wandering around the clearing. He ran around the front of the truck and got in the driver's seat. The truck started and he put the heavy duty truck in gear and pulled out just as the first raindrops hit the windshield.

All of his attention was focused on keeping the truck moving along a dirt road and Michonne concentrated protecting Andre from being bumped into the truck's interior. The rain was coming down in sheets but before long they were on a two lane road.

"My name is Jesse Graham and I would offer my hand but I need both hands on the wheel." He was a light skinned African-American with blue eyes. Early thirties or so. Very fit looking. Not a coastal Georgia accent at all.

"My name is Michonne Connor. My son's name is Andre. Thank you for everything." Michonne could have thanked him for an hour and not came close to expressing her gratitude. "What happened today at the camp?"

Jesse's face was grim, "I was on watch last night and everything was reasonably calm. There was a buildup of the notdead at the gates midmorning, and again at noon and I was with a crew that cleared them out. We had just dragged the last bodies out of the way so that the gates could swing open when we saw another herd coming our way. Larger than the first group. Scared the hell out of me but we could have held them off. You know the big army truck parked behind the mess hall?"

"The Dragon Wagon?" Michonne's dad had been career army and she had lived on army bases until she went to college. She hadn't lost the lingo.

"I heard it coming and I thought someone was bringing to the gates to help brace it. We do that every night and we moved out of the way when it came up the road so that it could be maneuvered against the gate to hold it. It was Blake and those guys that were with him. He hit the gas and the truck just rammed through the gates and went on. With the gates down we didn't have a chance. Someone hit the emergency siren and I ran and got my bag. It was a cluster fuck. Pardon my language. I ran toward the back trying to get people to go over the fence. I heard your boy and grabbed him and his bag." He found a bottle of water in his bag and offered it to her. Michonne took it and gave Andre a drink and one of her own. Jesse grabbed another bottle and chugged down most of it.

"How did you get Andre over the fence?" The fences were at least eight feet tall.

"I put him in my backpack and climbed with him on my back. He never made a peep. I was just going to take off with him but I knew that you had been on a run. Figured that you would come looking for your little man."

Michonne kissed the curly hair of her little man who looked as if a nap was in order. "So how did the truck happen to be the right place to save us?"

"I was on my way home from visiting some friends in Savannah when everything went down. I joined a group that was bringing survivors to camps. They needed people to stay in the camps and I volunteered to stay there until everyone got evacuated out. I hid my truck so I could take off on my own when the camp closed. Now it's your turn."

"Andre and I were getting ready to leave our apartment when by boyfriend Michael and his friend Terry showed up. Terry had a suv and we piled in together. We got caught in traffic jams and then the National Guard herded us on a truck and took us to the camp."

"So where can I take you?"

Jesse must want rid of the burden of a woman and a baby. She didn't blame him. He had saved Andre and her from the dead and he must have his own family to worry about. "I guess Savannah is no longer an option. Is there another camp close by?" Michonne hated the thought of another camp but her family was scattered all over the country.

"Do you want to go to another camp?" Jesse asked. "I'm from the mountains of North Carolina and I'm going home. That is a long way from here. Come with me."

Michonne stared out at the wet highway and the dripping trees. There were ravenous dead everywhere and this man had saved her and her son. She knew she couldn't keep Andre alive out there on her own. "Why not?"

Jesse said, "We have several hours until dark but I need you to make a list of things that you and the boy will need. We might find a place to scavenge this evening. We'll look for a place out in the country to stay tonight."

They scavenged at a dollar store. Jesse had went in first and made sure it was clear. Michonne went in with her list while Jesse stood guard. She found a medium size plastic bin and filled it with baby supplies, medicines, feminine hygiene supplies, and some food. Jesse had Andre in the truck and was killing walkers with the crowbar when she came out. "My turn". She grabbed her machete and took down the remaining walker.

"Yes, ma'am." He hurried into the store and brought back cleaning supplies, fire starters, clothes, paper towels, candles, and two pots and a pan. Some drinking glasses. Some silverware and dishes. More food. Bleach.

"My turn. Get some blankets and some clothes." Michonne hurried back in. More walkers had been coming. She grabbed the blankets and some t-shirts and went back out.

That night they slept in a garage apartment. It was unfinished. Just studs and no walls inside. Jesse parked the truck behind the apartment. They put blankets up over the windows and moved everything in. Jesse hauled water from the spigot downstairs and treated it with iodine drops. He cooked dinner using the candles as a heat source and they ate on a blanket on the floor.

Michonne took first watch. Jesse curled up on the floor with Andre and went to sleep. Michonne could see them from her position by the window. It was raining again and tomorrow they would have to find gasoline and water. The world had whirled again today and reset itself. Michael and Terry were dead, the camp overrun, but Andre was alive. She was headed to an unknown location with a stranger, but she felt more focused, more in control than she had in the camp. She and Jesse made a good team.

Two Months Later

Michonne and Jesse were arguing again. This time about art. Jesse liked as he said, "Art should be about beauty and truth. Not just throwing paint on a canvas and coming up with some bullshit caption." Michonne argued the other side for the sake of argument.

Andre played contently between them. He was used to their constant verbal debates and being on the move sometimes on foot and sometimes by vehicle. They had given up any idea that it would be possible to travel on major highways. Their first concern was Andre's health and wellbeing.

Savannah and her career as an attorney seemed like someone else's slideshow. She even looked different now. Jesse had looked at her braids and said, "You need to cut that hair."

She had refused. Wearing the braids made her feel tougher, more intimidating, and she wasn't about to let a Black hillbilly dictate her hair style. Jesse's typically laid-back response, "Then I carry Andre."

Three days later she had been grabbed by the hair by a man while walking point. He kept pulling her backwards and she wasn't able to get hold of her new sword to fight back. Jesse killed the man with a quick slash at his throat and both of them had ran like the wind figuring that the attacker had friends nearby. That night she asked Jesse to cut her braids and now she sported a new short hairstyle.

Jesse looked different too. He had been clean shaven at the camp and now he had a short beard. He looked tougher now. Thinner and more resolute. Serious.

Their home for the night was at a small farmhouse in the foothills of the mountains. They had decided to take a vehicle for the last part. The highway into the mountains seemed to be open and Jesse was worried about how long it might take them to walk it. They could be at his cabin tomorrow afternoon.

"Tell me about your cabin?"

Jesse sighed, "I came back from the army ten years ago. My grandmother had left me a small farm on the mountain. It had an old house on it that was near falling down. My cousins Isaiah and John talked me into going to Cherokee for the weekend. There's a casino there and Isaiah loved the slots and John liked to drink. I played a few table games and drank a little too much. I was winning and I had a stack of chips in front of me. Guess it didn't seem like real money and on a whim I bet it all on black. It went to black. I bet it all again on black. I bet on black seven times and every time I had bet it all. I won enough money that night to buy a log cabin package and to live without working for a year.

I spent six months designing my cabin. You'll like it. There is a great room on the main floor and Andre can play with his toys while we cook in the kitchen."

Michonne loved to hear Jesse talk about his house. The house that they were going to live for the rest of their lives. Her world consisted of Andre, Jesse, and herself. She had been thankful that Jesse had saved Andre, grateful that he was taking them with him, and now Michonne knew that her feelings were more than that. She loved Jesse Graham. He loved her. They were waiting until they got to the cabin to be together. Jesse was convinced that his cousins were alive and keeping the cabin safe.

They were leaving tomorrow morning in a truck they had found in a barn. It was old but Jesse had changed the oil this evening and there was a full tank of gas. Michonne wasn't worried about what they would find when they got to the mountains. She and Jesse would find a way to keep Andre safe.


	5. Pathetic

Pathetic

Daryl scooted out of bed before dawn trying not to wake Carol up. He thought of all those too easily forgotten women that he had fucked and fled before all this started. Once the sex was over he was out the door with some weak ass excuse. He tried to be a generous lover because he was getting what he wanted out of it. They gave him release and he gave them pleasure. Seemed fair. Pretending that the sex was anything more was not his style. Those women would be laughing their ass off that he was still scooting out of a bed in the dark leaving a woman behind. This time was different. He wanted to stay beside Carol and watch the sun come up. He wanted a lot more than that but what Carol needed right now was more important than his wants. Her smell was on the pillow beside his and she had slept beside him all night. It was enough for now. _Just keep telling yourself that_.

"Trying to sneak off?" Carol murmured. "Another notch on the Dixon bedpost?"

He laughed and finished dressing. He sat down on the bed and leaned over and kissed her good morning. "Don't have all day and if you want to earn your notch you'll have to put out."

"I'll put out some breakfast." Carol was awake after the kiss. Wide awake.

"I just want coffee so stay in bed." He went into the bathroom and she was gone when he came out and the bed was made. Daryl had the coffee pot on the stove when she came down dressed for the day.

"You didn't have to get up. I want to go check the vehicles before we go." Daryl felt guilty for being happy that she had gotten up to see him off. "Did you sleep okay last night? Sometimes I have nightmares. I should have told you that." _What I really want to say is that I kept waking up and checking to see if you were still there. I had to stop myself from tucking the blanket around you. I am pathetic. _

She quickly made him two egg sandwiches to go and poured coffee into his thermos. "I have nightmares too and I only woke once and you were sleeping peacefully then."

He took the food and his thermos, "You gonna tell Sophia? You ain't gonna leave me all alone in that big bed are you? I have those nightmares, you know." He liked the way her lips turned up when she smiled. _She's smiling. That's a good sign, right?_

"I'm going to give her an answer if she asks. Are you sure you want me to?" He put down his breakfast and thermos and gave her a sweet lingering kiss. She kissed him back tentatively as if she wasn't sure how to respond.

"I'm giving you all the time you need. You call the play and I'll run it. Don't get no notch though until you put out something more than breakfast." _Do you hear what I am saying? I just handed you my balls. _

She playfully swatted him and he pretended to be wounded. She followed him to the door and he rubbed her shoulder, "You stay safe. Make sure the door is locked behind me." He stood a moment in the doorway still holding onto her shoulder, "Maybe this evening we could do watch at sunset. You, me, Sophia, and after it gets dark we'll get that constellation book out and look for some stars." _Does that sound good to you? I want to bring and blanket and wrap you both up so that you'll be warm_.

Carol nodded, "I'll make a pizza and we can take that with us."

"Sounds good. See you later." _I keep hearing these cheesy love songs in my head when I am with you. I'm afraid that I am going to start singing. I am pathetic_.

Still he dawdled and Carol stepped closer to him as she heard Rick call out, "Daryl, you ready?"

Daryl turned toward Rick, "I'm ready." He squeezed her hand, "Be back early today." _Fucking Rick. Cock blocker._

Daryl and Rick rode together in Daryl's truck. Billy and Glenn were in a big farm truck so that they could transport some cattle if they found any. Philip and Martinez were in another big truck and there was another truck with three guys that Daryl trusted. No soldiers on this trip and Daryl wished they were going. Just felt safer to have those big guns around.

The mountains formed the western wall and Daryl knew that in a few weeks they would be ablaze with fall colors. Maybe he and Carol could take Sophia there in the fall sometime. He wanted Sophia to have some happy memories when she got older. Tonight they would watch the sunset, eat together, and then look toward the stars. Then they would go home together. Carol would go upstairs with Sophia. Spend some time with her and maybe later Carol would come downstairs to their bed and they would make some happy memories. Just waking up with her made him happy. _Nothing wrong with being happy_.

"That highway looks open. Maybe we could take a run up there sometime soon?" Rick shifted in his seat and looked back at their little convoy.

"Just thinking we could take our families when the colors start changing one of these days" _It still felt strange to talk about his "family", but it felt good strange._

Daryl heard rifle fire from ahead and he automatically began to swerve the truck toward an exit road. He jumped out with his rifle. Rick came out the other side and they ran toward the rifle fire. He could see a truck pulled off to the side and a woman carrying a baby leaping out. His natural instinct was to protect a woman with a child. He saw a man standing by a roadway aiming toward the truck and he let loose a volley of fire toward him. Rick's rifle echoed his. Billy and Glenn had joined the battle firing at a shooter on the other side of the road.

The ambushers were soon dispatched and Daryl ran toward the truck. Rick helped the African-American woman with her baby while Daryl checked out the driver of the truck. He had been shot and Daryl pulled him out. The man was losing consciousness. "We've got to get him back to the medic. Get the truck, Rick".

Rick brought the truck close and he and Daryl put the man into the bed of the truck. The woman climbed him beside him with her little boy. Rick went with her with the first aid kit that they took on runs. The others were searching for more ambushers but promised that they would be back soon. The local walker population was ambling in for brunch so they wouldn't be here long.

Daryl pushed the truck as hard as he could on the way back. The army medic looked the man over. "The wound is superficial, but he must have hit his head. He has a concussion." Bob had cleaned out the wound. "We can keep him here in the infirmary."

Daryl shook his head, "There a wife and baby. They should be together. I'll check with Carol."

Carol was outside Bob's exam room sitting with the woman and her child. All news traveled fast at De Novo. Carol scooted over to him when he walked out, "I want them to stay with us until they can travel. Do you mind?"

"Just coming out here to see if that was alright with you. He has a concussion so he better stay in our room. Bob and I will bring him to the house as soon as he can be moved."

"She needs to see him before we go." Daryl nodded and escorted the woman back to the exam room. She had a back sheath with a long sword in it and she looked as if she would like to chop up somebody with it. Fierce warrior look to her. Her hands were gentle when they touched the man's face and she murmured something to him. The man put his hands over hers and he brought her hands to his lips. _He loves his warrior woman and she loves him._

The woman straightened up and nodded at Daryl. She and the little boy left with Carol and he stayed with Bob. The man was anxious to get back to his family and Bob put him in a wheelchair and between the two of them they got him in a wheelchair and down to the house.

Carol opened the door and he and Bob helped the man into bed. Bob gave them a list of instructions and left. Carol introduced him to Michonne and her son Andre. The man had said that his name was David, but Michonne called him Jesse. _There is a story there and I better figure out what it is._

Michonne was about Carol's height but was more muscular. Her boy had crawled off her lap and onto the bed where Jesse was lying and her eyes were on Jesse and Andre when she began speaking. "Thank you for saving us. Jesse and I were on our way to the mountains to his cabin. I met Jesse at a camp outside Savannah. He saved Andre when our camp was overrun and I was out on a supply run.

Carol hugged her, "Why don't you take a shower? Rick will bring your bags back and I'll take your clothes to our laundry. I'll watch over Jesse and Andre." Carol dug out some clothes. "This will work for you.

Michonne seem conflicted but Jesse managed to say, "You get a shower and I'll watch over our little man. We need to talk."

She thanked Carol and went into the shower. They all laughed when they heard her say, "Oh, dear God. There is hot water."

Jesse propped himself up in the bed. Carol had put a trash can by his side and he looked as if he would like to vomit again. Carol took Andre to get something to eat and Daryl sat with Jesse.

Michonne came out and Jesse asked Daryl to let him talk to her alone. Daryl went to see how Carol was managing with Andre. They were on the living floor playing with a plastic ball. He scooted down beside them and joined in the fun. _I have a million things I should be doing but I love the way your face lights up when Andre laughs. Beside I haven't figured out who Jesse-David is._

Jesse wanted help in the shower and Daryl used a short step ladder that Carol used to reach the top cabinets as a stool for the man. They wrapped Jesse's arm in plastic and Daryl helped him in and out of the shower. Michonne was there to scrub Jesse clean. Daryl helped her get him dressed and they put Jesse back to bed. Andre got a bath and then a nap. Michonne and Jesse had another private discussion and then they called Daryl and Carol into the bedroom.

Michonne was sitting in a chair by the bed. Andre was asleep on the bed beside Jesse. "I thank you for everything that you have done. I wish I could just thank you and leave without causing any problems, but I owe you too much not to tell you the truth."

Jesse took over the story, "Michonne was on a run. I was working the gates. We were getting hit with herds of what you call walkers. There was a big herd coming our way. We had fought back herds before and we could have handled this one. We used one of the army trucks to reinforce the gates. I heard the truck coming but instead of putting in place to brace the gate some assholes just hit the gas and rammed through the gates to escape. They knew they were leaving us all to die without a way to keep the herd out. We had more than two hundred men, women, and children at that camp. No more than thirty survived. Michonne came back from her run and found us. That was two months ago but I saw the men who left us to die. Philip Blake, Martinez, and Shumpert."

Michonne wiped Jesse's face with a washcloth. "I don't think he recognized me. I had dreadlocks before and I look very different with short hair. Jesse was clean shaven. We have both lost weight. We won't make it out of here alive if he recognizes us. We can't prove anything. Their word against ours. We'll leave as soon as Jesse can travel."

Daryl considered this story. He believed it, but Philip had made friends with the soldiers and many of the settlers here. He could turn this story around and say that it was Michonne and Jesse who had driven the truck through the gates.

"I believe you but Blake has a lot of people fooled here. They won't believe you and there are a few that want him to be in charge. Jesse, I think you need to wear sunglasses. Those blue eyes are a giveaway. When Jesse gets better we will take you to your cabin. Michonne, you better stay close to this house. Blake will come sniffing around and you just need to be out of sight. We need to tell Rick and Morgan. You can trust them." Daryl looked at Carol. "Our girl will stay with Rick and Andrea." She nodded at him.

Michonne took a deep breath, "Thank you, again. This is a wonderful place and I can tell that you and Rick are good men. You saved us and we will owe you a debt of gratitude."

"There will always be room for your families with us." Jesse looked at both Carol and Daryl. "You might want to consider leaving yourselves."

Sophia was agreeable to staying with Andrea. She and Carl were kept away from their guests. Blake came to visit and Jesse wearing sunglasses talked with him briefly. The new story was that David and his wife Michelle were from South Carolina. They were traveling with their son to Tennessee.

Michonne was supposedly taking a nap upstairs. Jesse vomited during the visit and that sent Blake away early.

That evening Daryl took watch with Sophia, Carl, and Duane for company. Carol had made them a pizza and the four sky watchers spent a cool fall night in looking for constellations and hanging out. Daryl knew that Rick, Andrea, Morgan, and Ginny were at his house talking with Jesse and Michonne.

That night Daryl checked all the doors and windows. Carol was already upstairs and he went on up to her room. The bed was decidedly smaller than the one downstairs and she laughed, "I'll sleep in Sophia's bed."

"It will just be cosy. Lie with me a while anyway. Need to talk to you." Daryl scooted over and Carol slid in beside him. "We need to get them out of here before Blake figures out who they really are. I want to take them to Jesse's house. He is a tough as a pine knot and he has kin up there in the mountains that he thinks are still alive."

"I'm going with you. Sophia can go with us." Carol put her head on his shoulder.

"No way in hell. They got ambushed this morning. It is too dangerous." _The head on the shoulder thing is working for me or is it working for you? Are you playing me?_

"We've been out in the woods and fields for seven Sundays. You've taught me how to shoot, how to use a knife, how to walk quietly in the woods. Jesse and Michonne are tough, but they need help. I feel safer with you out there than being her without you." Carol's eyes flashed at him and he loved how firm her voice was. _She wasn't a warrior woman…yet. She had killed walkers but killing people? I don't want you to have to do that. _

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her. "No way, it's ain't happening. Your ass is staying right here." _Sounded good, Daryl. She ain't the one in charge here._

Carol slid off the bed, "I didn't ask permission to go. I reminded you that I have some fighting skills. Sophia and I are going." Her voice trembled a little and he knew how difficult it would be for her to stand up to him like that. "Aren't you going to kiss me goodnight?"

Daryl looked up at her. She was mad at him and she wasn't going to make his dirty dreams come true on this narrow bed. She did have the gumption to fire back at him when he got too bossy and she did want him to kiss her goodnight. _My bold move to assert my dominance fell on its ass. It was doomed from the start. Never underestimate, Carol. _

He laughed and got out of bed. "Sure, I'm gonna kiss you goodnight." _Yeah, I know who won this damn battle, but I do get to kiss Carol. I'll salvage my ego with my best moves._

Daryl stood up and pulled her into his arms. His lips met hers in a long and thorough kiss. He indulged himself with kissing her ears and tracing them with his tongue while his hands slid under her shirt and rubbed her back. He was ready to deepen the kiss. She pulled back from him looking flushed and sexy as hell.

"Goodnight, Daryl". Carol looked a little conflicted with leaving but she left nonetheless. _Damn. Round Two to Carol._

Daryl tried to get comfortable on the bed which smelled a little too much like Carol for him to go to sleep easily. _You don't get to jerk off in her bed. You just don't come back from that. Tell Little Daryl that he just needs to shut the hell up. Think about something disgusting. The smell of walkers and the way that Blake looks at Andrea and Carol. And by the way you are pathetic._


	6. Overthinking

Overthinking

Carol sat in Sophia's chair and examined her daughter's bedroom. It wasn't as big as her old bedroom or as nicely furnished, but it looked more like Sophia. There were books everywhere and clothes left on the bed. Daryl had brought home a stained glass rainbow mobile from a run and hung it in Sophia's window. Daryl had put it up the next day when she and Sophia were out. Sophia had been working with her sorting supplies most of the afternoon and into the evening. Daryl had been on watch and she and Sophia had been in the kitchen working on a late supper so that the three of them could eat together. Sophia had went upstairs to her room to get a book and she called back down, "Mom, come up here and look at this!"

Carol had been slightly annoyed. She had things to do but there was delight in her daughter's voice and she had hurried upstairs. The door was open and she could see Sophia's silhouette outlined by the sun. Sophia looked joyous as if the lights that were dancing around the room had somehow sparked some bit of enchantment. The setting sun sent a cascade of jeweled light that turned the room into an almost magical place. The barely there breeze stirred the glass to life and it seized the rays of light and threw them into every corner of the room.

Carol had known immediately that Daryl had done this. "You thank Daryl when he comes in for supper."

Daryl had denied that he had hung the mobile, "Must be some damn elves or fairies that did that."

Daryl blushed when Sophia had impulsively hugged then. "I'm a little too old to believe in elves and fairies." Sophia said archly and then added politely, "Thank you, Daryl D."

"Knew you liked rainbows," was all he said as he awkwardly patted Sophia's back.

Sophia teased him. "I really like horses."

"Grilled or fried?" Daryl grumped back.

Carol thanked him that night. "She loves it already. Sophia told me that she will keep it until she has a baby and then she will put it in their room. How did you ever find it?"

Daryl had fidgeted a bit but Carol had learned to wait him out. Sooner or later he would talk if he wanted to. "There was a store that sold stained glass supplies and this was in the display. We had scavenged a hardware store across the street and I went over to look at it." There was another long pause. "I always wanted to do shit like that. I took an art class in high school and I really liked it. I hid the stuff I made at home but my father found it and broke everything into a thousand pieces. He whipped me hard and reminded me that Dixons ain't a bunch of queer ass artists." Daryl had checked the doors and windows and went into his room and shut the door.

Carol had sat there that night contemplating following him into his bedroom out of gratitude for his kindnesses toward Sophia and herself. Or maybe because she understood how the memory of his abusive father still had the power to wound him. She hadn't gone to him then and she hadn't stayed tonight.

Carol could hear Daryl move restlessly in her bed next door. She hadn't shut the door to her room and she hadn't shut Sophia's door.

Andrea had visited this evening and the three women had congregated in the kitchen with Andre to talk. The conversation had been comfortable, as if the three of them had been friends for many years. Andrea was her usual brash self and Michonne had thawed out enough to snark back at her. Carol tried to hold her own.

Andrea had put her iced tea down and looked at the Carol and Michonne. "Does it feel to you that our lives before the ZA happened to someone else? That it seems as if that person doesn't exist anymore and that you have evolved into someone brand new?"

"I'm not Michonne Conner the lawyer anymore. I am never going to be that person again. Two months ago I threw that last of her away. Now I am just Michonne, mother of Andre and partner with Jesse. I don't negotiate anymore. I kill whatever endangers Andre, Jesse, or myself".

"I feel guilty because I am happier now than before." Carol admitted. "Hell, I feel safer now than I did before, stronger, more alive. I like myself better."

Andrea leaned over and held Carol's hand, "Don't feel guilty. You didn't bring this about. I don't feel safer but I do feel stronger and more alive. I hadn't been with anyone for two years before this happened. I gave up on relationships, worked sixty hours a week, and hadn't had a vacation in three years. Amy and I were almost strangers."

Carol squeezed Andrea's hand knowing that she rarely mentioned her sister Amy who had died at the quarry. Michonne casually patted Andrea's other hand. Andrea went on, "I was shocked when Dr. Ferrell put Rick and I together. Rick had been humiliated when his wife left him for another man and he wasn't happy that I was foisted on him. Rick would have sulked and pouted for months. I might have too. Then something happened on the way here."

Carol thought about that long bumpy trip. Nothing much happened which was always a good thing now, but the convoy had stopped and picked up Philip Blake and his henchmen. "Philip Blake?" she guessed.

Andrea nodded, "Philip went through the truck introducing himself. I almost fell off the seat when Daryl Dixon announced to Philip that you and Sophia were his family. It must have triggered something in Rick because he was equally convincing that I was part of the Grimes family. Something slithered across my mind when I saw Philip and I knew he was dangerous. I remember moving closer to Rick and he put his arm around me. I liked the way it made me feel. So that night after Carl had scampered upstairs to plot ways to rid himself of the evil stepmother I had a little talk with Rick. I knew he was going to go upstairs to sleep. He was prepared to be a platonic roommate. So I just put my cards on the table. I reminded him that De Novo means a new start and I wanted to be part of a real family. I thought he was attractive and if he went upstairs I would understand. It was his call. He stared at me for a while and then leaned toward me and kissed me. I restrained my natural aggressiveness and didn't jump her there and we walked toward our room and the rest is history. There is a new development in that I am late this month and according to the science of two epts I am pregnant."

"Shit, that's scary." Michonne had been planning to stock up a lifetime supply of condoms.

Carol was torn between fear for her friend and jealousy. Andrea had wanted Rick and she was pregnant. Andrea hadn't been afraid to live.

"I am scared shitless, but how long can these zombies last? I'm thirty eight. I can't afford to wait until they die off to have a baby." Andrea looked at them defiantly.

"Jesse and I are waiting until we get to his cabin. He isn't Andre's biological father but I want my son to grow up to be the man like Jesse. We decided that it was just too dangerous to get down and dirty on the road. We want to be settled somewhere before we're together." Michonne sounded wistful.

Andrea and Michonne both looked at Carol. Apparently, everyone was telling war stories and Carol felt like a non-combatant. "Daryl and I aren't together". Carol thought about the intimacy of their Sunday outings and she had slept in Daryl's bed last night. "Yet", she added.

Andrea's eyes gleamed, "I showed my cards, now I want the dirt."

"You and Daryl aren't having sex? I don't believe it. You two make eye contact all the time and barely have to speak to communicate. I think there is some sort of telepathy going on between you."

"You just need some sort of push. Here I give it to you. You have cleaned up the outer Daryl to acceptable hygiene levels and you love the inner Daryl. Carol, we only have right now. Now don't tell anyone about the baby. I haven't really broken the news to Rick yet." Andrea was matter of fact as always.

"I'm going to miss you two when Jesse and I leave. Maybe we can visit each other later on when things settle down." Michonne took their hands, "We need friends in this world."

Carol had felt the bond since she set down at this table with them. "I think we are going to have all sorts of adventures together."

Andrea nodded, "I think so too. Michonne, maybe you and Jesse can stay here."

"No, Jesse has family in the mountains and a home. Besides, we know too much about Philip. It's too dangerous here for us. I think you need to come with us." Michonne squeezed their hands.

Rick had come in then and the party broke up. Carol sat in her daughter's chair and thought about that talk. Her friends had trusted their instincts and dared to love someone. Andrea had reminded her that we only have right now. Daryl could have been killed today helping Michonne and Jesse.

Carol dared to ask herself some difficult questions. What do you want? Do you want to keep Daryl as a friend and a partner to help rear Sophia? Do you want to have sex with him? Or are you still too afraid to be intimate with anyone?" She had lived so long without power over her own body that she had been afraid to make a decision either way. Her body had seceded from the decision making process a long time ago. The southern district had voted for flight from Ed early on in her marriage. The rest of the body agreed. Ed was a shit and get the hell out. Her mind had succumbed to fear and desperation and had hung on praying for a way out.

She had been somewhat like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy couldn't find her way home to Kansas and Carol couldn't find her way out of her miserable life with Ed. Dorothy finds the key to going home was clicking her heels and asking to be taken home. Carol couldn't redo the wasted years but did she have the heart, the courage, and the brains to finally click her heels and ask to be taken home?

Carol felt like an idiot but she stood up and clicked her heels three times, "I want to go home." Then she left her daughter's room and shut that door behind her and went into her bedroom and shut that door behind her.

"I want to talk to you." She turned the small lamp on by her bed. Daryl set up in bed looking a little flustered. Carol took the chair by her bed. "I am going with you to take Michonne and Jesse to the mountains. I didn't ask permission because I am your partner not your employee".

Carol thought about Andrea just being honest with Rick and Dorothy missing out on being home because she didn't know how simple it was to go home. Daryl's hair was standing on end and he looked a little pissed at her. She took a deep breath, "I love you and I want to have sex with you. I'm afraid that I'll disappoint you, but I want to anyway."

"I still have some shit to say about the trip but my body doesn't care about that right now. It just wants to know that you aren't playing me. I might be developing a terminal case of blue balls." Daryl had moved so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed and he was obviously ready for sex.

Carol couldn't resist one last tease, "Looks like I am a little late for the party."

Daryl stared down at his erection, "He is a stubborn lad, just got him down for the night with visions of walkers dancing toward him, and what do you know? You come waltzing in here and he jumped right back up." He bit his cuticle and stared at her, "I love you, never said before to anyone. I might disappoint you too, but I don't think so." He smirked at her, "Leave the light on or off, but please get in this bed and stay this time."

Carol opted for turning the light off. She stripped her clothes off and left them on the chair and she could see Daryl pulling off his briefs and hesitating before he took off his t-shirt. He slid back on the little bed and left room for her.

The bed was warm from his body heat and she could see the curtains blowing in the breeze from the open window. Daryl kissed her gently and moved so that he was lying on his side beside of her. He scooted a little closer and one hand began to explore her body as he leaned against her. He groaned, "Gotta move this along cause I'm not going to last." He moved to her breasts and teased them with his tongue and teeth while his hand sought entrance between her legs. She gave way with a tiny moan as his fingers pushed into her wetness in search of her clit which was announcing its arousal by being easily found.

Carol snipped his shoulder as his fingers began to rub against her most sensitive spot and the southern district decided to rejoin the union and began to make its wants known by pushing toward the source of pleasure. Daryl groaned again, and he kissed his way down and used his fingers to spread her open before him.

No one had ever done this to her before but for once mind and body were in compete agreement to acquiescing to this most intimate act. Daryl's talented tongue rubbed and stroked her clit until Carol felt herself come undone and her body shook and shuddered its pleasure. She tried to catch her breath as Daryl lined himself up to enter her. He pushed himself in slowly and Carol felt another round of pleasure by feeling him inside her. The pressure was all pleasure as her body readied itself for sex. "Touch yourself. I can't last", Daryl panted.

The rest was a clash of thrusting from her and him until they began to move in the same rhythm. Carol had never had this before; this terrible need within her that demanded that she give herself over to the act. Nothing existed for her but this must be completed. She climaxed and held on to Daryl as he released himself inside her.

They rested. Daryl kissed her shoulder and muttered, "I'm a dead man. You're going to kill me".

Carol laughed and kissed him on the lips, "I don't think I am going to kill you. Use you every chance I get, but I'm not going to kill the golden goose. I need a drink of water." She got out of bed and went into the bathroom to get the water. She got a glass of water and a warm wet washcloth.

She and Daryl shared the water and the washcloth. They rested in each other's arms and exchanged a few kisses. "Should have known you'd be concerned with cleanliness, " he grumbled.

Carol had laughed again. "I'm not through with you. Just thought you would like the feel of that washcloth." She kissed her way down his chest and stomach. "I do intend that this ends with you inside me. Do we understand each other?"

"I'm a dead man. You're going to kill me."

"Just the little death. Does that feel good?" Daryl moaned that it did.

Later Carol fell asleep wrapped in Daryl's arms. She and Dorothy had found their way home.


	7. Strange Ground

Strange Ground

It was still dark when Carol woke up to find Daryl still sleeping beside her. There was a Biblical level rainstorm throwing water against the roof and windows and Daryl's run was definitely off for today. Carol thought about the Dixons at the quarry and the Dixon in her bed. Merle had been loud, vulgar, and there should have been a photograph of him in a dictionary under the word "obnoxious". Merle had no filter; he said and did whatever crossed his mind and the hell with the consequences. Merle was entertaining in a train wreck sort of way. You knew it was going to end badly but you watched anyway.

Daryl had been less intimidating. Smaller and quieter than Merle he seemed to move in and out of the camp without making any waves. He would show up with dead animals and launch them at her or the other women and then silently stalked away. He seemed not to give a tinker's damn about anyone but Merle. Yet, he brought food to the group without asking for or accepting any thanks from anyone. He was entertaining because he was so unconsciously handsome and you just wanted to look at him even if it would end badly if Ed found out.

There was something about them that had attracted her. Everyone else was terrified and they both swaggered around the quarry as if they were on a carefree camping trip. As socially unacceptable as they were they made everyone else feel safe around them because you knew when it all hit the fan that the Dixons wouldn't panic.

She had been careful to keep her interest in the Dixons carefully hidden. Ed was always looking for a reason to punish her and she knew to stay busy and keep her head down. Ed controlled her body but she had learned to escape in her imagination. She had a recurring fantasy that she and Sophia managed to stowaway in the Dixon truck when it left the camp for wherever their fancy called them. Ed would be left behind and she and Sophia would start all over in a safe place. The Dixons were their vehicle for leaving Ed, but her mind could not fathom them being saddled with a woman and a child. Carol smiled remembering a few favorite fantasies about being with Daryl. Ed might control her body but her defiant mind was less easily controlled. Fantasies were safe; Ed couldn't read her mind and life with Ed had taken away any desire for real sex.

It had all worked out in a way. Ed was killed by walkers and she and Sophia had found a safe place with Daryl. Merle disappeared from the rooftop but hadn't come back to the quarry. He was alive somewhere; nothing could kill Merle but Merle. He would show up some day and he would take one look at her and Merle would take Daryl away. It would be easy enough, Merle being Merle would create waves here and her mind autocorrected to Merle creating tsunamis. Sooner or later Merle would be asked/forced to leave and Daryl would go with him. Men like Daryl don't send their only blood out alone.

She was going to enjoy whatever time they had together. Daryl was a balm for her wounded spirit and she wanted to be that for him. Sex with Daryl had shown her that even her best fantasies could never be as pleasurable as being with him. Carol could not fault her imagination; it simply had lacked the frame of reference to conjure up what being with the real Daryl would be like.

Sex with Daryl had been satisfying. Carol had hoped for tender and loving and the explosive part had been beyond her ken. _Where has that been hiding all this time?_

Carol slid out of bed. She knew Daryl well enough to know that he was going to revert to being Quarry Camp Daryl this morning. She was giving him some room today because there hadn't been any distance between them last night. She understood because she was feeling a little of that uneasiness. _We both are afraid to let people too close._

Carol took a quick shower and got dressed and downstairs before Daryl left. He was sitting in the kitchen with Jesse drinking coffee. Jesse gave her a weak smile and Daryl blushed and nodded at her.

"Jesse wants to go home tomorrow. You still demanding to go?" Daryl managed to sneak another look at her as she poured herself a cup of coffee. _He did look a little tired this morning, maybe I'd better take it easy on him tonight._

"I am choosing to go." She leaned against the counter and smiled at him, "Gotta keep an eye on you, you might to decide to run off to the mountains and not come back." _Back to default flirting. I am so predictable. _

Daryl dared a small smile back at her, "Oh, I'm thinking of lots of reasons I would make my way back." He met her eyes and she knew that she was blushing. _Advantage Daryl._

Jesse got up from the table. "Excuse me, but I better go check on Michonne. Andre will be up soon." He almost scurried away.

Daryl sat still until Jesse was gone and then he stood up and walked toward her. She was trapped by the counter and he put a muscled arm on either side of her. He brought his lips to hers in a long kiss. "You know that I am the man in charge on trips out of here, right? You have to follow orders. That's the way it works." _Sorry, I was distracted by your arms, what did you say?_

She kissed him back, "You know that I am going, right? I'll be your good little soldier." _Shit, I called his dick a good little soldier last night. Way to change the subject, Carol. No more talk of following orders._

It must have been the right thing to say because she could feel him go hard against her. The sudden sound of Andre crying broke the mood and Daryl pulled back from her, "We will take this conversation up tonight." _Less talk, more action. My new motto._

"Let's make some breakfast for our company." Carol was still in shock that Daryl had bested her in the flirting game. _He's a damn sleeper. _

It turned into a Sunday morning. Andrea and Rick came over with the Sophia and Carl. She and Daryl made a mountain of pancakes and she managed to make the dried eggs palatable. Sophia and Carl went to school and the men disappeared.

Carol, Andrea, and Michonne hung out in the kitchen drinking coffee and talking about the trip.

"Maybe you should stay here and let Daryl and Rick go?" Andrea said.

Carol shook her head. "Rick needs to be here to keep an eye on Philip."

Michonne frowned, "Jesse and I made it from Georgia to North Carolina without help. I can drive. Daryl can stay here."

Carol patted her hand, "Daryl and I are going. I want Sophia to go with us."

"Sophia will stay with me. How long do you think you'll be gone?" Andrea wasn't letting Sophia out of her sight.

Carol looked at Andrea's stubborn face and thought of everything that could go wrong. "Okay, Sophia stays with you. I think we'll leave in the morning if Jesse is well enough to travel. We don't know about the roads so I think it might be a few days."

"You people aren't listening to me. We don't need you." Michonne was looking impressively disgruntled but Andrea hugged her and ruined the effect.

"Jesse has a concussion. You have a baby. We aren't going to let you do this last part alone. You don't know if there is anyone even there." Carol had been spent the last few months learning how to use weapons. Daryl had told her that being a warrior was fifty percent weapon expertise and fifty percent following your instincts. Her instincts were telling her that she needed to be on this trip. That she needed to make sure that Michonne and Andre were going somewhere that they would be safe. Carol was trusting her instincts this time.

The next morning Carol hugged and kissed Andrea and Sophia goodbye. Rick and Morgan had already left for an early run that included Philip Blake. They were going in Daryl's truck. It had a double cab so there was enough room. Michonne took off her boot and scratched her foot.

"You got an itchy foot? My grandmother would say that you are going to be walking on strange ground." Carol teased.

Michonne laughed, "My grandmother said that too. I guess we're going on strange ground."

Carol felt like Lot's wife as they neared the gates of De Novo, and she resisted the impulse to turn and look back. Daryl looked at her, "It's not too late. Stay here where it is safer."

Carol shook her head, "I'm going."

Daryl looked at Jesse who was sitting in the front seat beside him, "Do you and Michonne ever fight?"

Jesse grinned, "Have you seen her swing her katana? I practice being agreeable." He smiled at Michonne, "Ready to go home?"

Michonne nodded, "I am ready to be home."

Carol could hear the weariness in Michonne's voice. Andre babbled something that sounded vaguely like go, go, go and they all laughed.

Daryl drove to one of the houses that they had checked out on their Sunday travels. There was an almost falling down barn with a fairly new Jeep Cherokee on the property. Daryl had hid the jeep, changed the oil, and made sure that it was full of gas on one of their Sundays. There was also several full gas cans, a supply of water and food, two rifles, two pistols, and two machetes.

Carol took the driver's seat in the Cherokee, Michonne switched Andre's car seat, and took her place with a rifle beside of Carol. Daryl and Jesse were going to drive the lead car. Daryl leaned in, "Remember we are going to drive pretty fast until we get up in the mountains. Radio if you need to stop." He came her a quick kiss. "Stay safe" and then he climbed into his truck and sped off.

Carol followed the truck to the highway fairly closely and then she dropped back. The road was littered with an occasional vehicle but most of them were off the highway and it was possible to weave in and around the stalled traffic.

Michonne stretched and turned to check on Andre. "Thank you for doing this."

"I wouldn't even pick up a weapon when this all started. I expected the men to use the weapons to protect us. I nearly lost Sophia one day to walkers and when Daryl brought her back scared but alive I promised myself that I would never wait on anyone else again to protect us. That was my job." Carol glanced at Michonne. "I owe a lot of people for helping me when I need it. Nobody can make it on their own out here."

Carol and Michonne talked all the way through foothills. The scenery changed from foothills to mountains. Michonne kept her vigilant watch of their surroundings. Carol had never driven in mountains before and she concentrated on keeping the Cherokee in the middle of the road.

They stopped for lunch at a roadside park and to let Andre down for a while. Jesse reminded Carol to stay closer now because they would be leaving the highway and the roads would be more narrow and curvy.

It seemed to Carol that this next part of the trip went on forever. The trees crowded close to the road and she concentrated on following Daryl's truck and trying to remember the route they were taking. They turned on and off paved roads and then the roads went from being paved to being graveled.

Finally, Jesse announced on the radio that they were close. The road began to curve around a mountain and they seemed to wind around it forever before they reached the top. There was a graveled driveway that led off through the trees and they made another winding curve and they stopped at a closed gate. Jesse hopped out and hit a few numbers on a key pad. He pushed the gates open and both vehicles drove through. Carol could see a large log house sitting the middle of an open field. Jesse closed the gates and got back in the truck and Daryl drove the truck up the road to the driveway.

Carol parked beside of the truck but made sure to leave lots of room between them if a quick exit was in order. Daryl and Jesse were moving toward the house and she knew that they were going to sweep it first.

Michonne was out of the Cherokee with her katana and Carol eased out of her side with her rifle. She had imagined a simple cabin but this was a spacious house. There was a high porch all along the front and the windows on the bottom floor were all covered with a heavy plywood. The second floor windows were uncovered.

Carol could see the area around the house was encircled by a strong fence. There were solar arrays on the roof and in a side yard and she guessed that was the only source of electricity for this house. Jesse had designed and built the house and she really hoped that there was a working bathroom somewhere in there.

Jesse and Daryl came out and waved them in. The great room had a large living and dining space and modern kitchen. There was a bedroom and a bath on the main floor. Upstairs there was three bedrooms and two baths. Carol was more than relieved to find that the toilets worked.

She went back downstairs. Everyone was on the porch watching two men on horseback coming up the road. Jesse laughed, put down his rifle, and ran to meet them. The two men jumped off their mounts and hugged him.

Carol noticed that the other two were lighter skinned than Jesse but they were about the same height and lean build. He introduced them as his cousins Isaiah and John Graham. Their homes were nearby and they had heard the vehicles and had decided to investigate.

They didn't stay long but they said that their wives would want to meet everyone and that they would come back and have a cookout this evening. They would bring the food and drink. Jesse thanked them and they went on their way.

Michonne went all ballistic and made everyone clean the place from top to bottom. Andrea and Carol had "found" clothes for her at De Novo so she had something to wear. Carol had to smile. Michonne the warrior who used her katana like an omnipotent walker reaper was nervous about meeting Jesse's family.

She and Daryl sat on front porch in rockers and enjoyed the cool mountain breeze. Daryl looked longingly at the woods but he stayed in his seat. "So what do you think about this place?" she asked.

"The house is built to last. Do you think we could take a walk out through the fields? Been driving all day."

Carol laughed, "You are practically squirming over there. Do you really want me to go?" She thought he might want some time alone.

"I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want you to go with me." Daryl stood up and held out his hand to help her up. "Maybe I'll let you carry the rifle."

They walked to the summit of the mountain. The wind was blowing harder up there and they sat on a large flat rock and enjoyed a 360 degree view of mountains. "Leaves are starting to look like fall up here already. Bet winter is a real bitch." Daryl ran his hand over the gray rock.

"Jesse's family tree is a mixture of Cherokee, Black, and white. They have been living up her for over two hundred years. They know how to survive. People like that might make it through this." Carol smiled at Daryl, "Do you want to stay?"

"Yeah, but we got promises to keep back in De Novo." Daryl eased his hand over hers and carefully took her hand. "You and Sophia are my family now. I keep my promises. What do you want?"

Carol tore her eyes from his and looked out at the mountains. What did she want? She wanted to keep Sophia safe and she wanted to be with Daryl. She glanced back at him and squeezed his fingers. "We're going to be partners? No you are my property shit?"

Daryl kissed her, "We're partners, I don't own anything but my boots and bow."

Carol had the sudden unwanted memory of a charming Ed who had hidden her engagement ring inside of a box of chocolates that he had given her for Valentine's Day. She had accepted the ring and married Ed because she was lonely. It had been romantic proposal and a hellish marriage. Daryl wasn't good with words, didn't have a good track record with relationships, but she trusted him to do right by her. She shook off the residual sorrowful effects that reviving a repressed memory of Ed brought to her.

"You are more than a pair of boots and a crossbow. You're a good man and I keep my promises too." She leaned back toward him and gave him a quick kiss. "We need to give Michonne and Jesse some privacy so how about we take a walk on this ridge? Might find some plants."

Daryl stood up, "I hope she takes it easy on him, the man has a concussion."

"I don't think I'd tell her that if I were you." Carol accepted Daryl's hand to help her up and he held on as they strolled through a golden late afternoon sun on a mountain ridge on strange ground.

AN

Jesse's family is Melungeon. They are a mixture of white, Black, and Native American groups that stayed isolated in the mountains. You can google "Melungeon" and find out more if you're interested. I became interested in that group while doing some research on family history.


	8. Kinship

Kinship

Carol got back in time to help calm Michonne's fears about meeting Jesse's family. Carol had to laugh at her a little. Michonne and Jesse had managed to travel form coastal Georgia to western North Carolina with a baby in a world gone mad. Surely, the Jesse's family would be less of a threat than a herd of walkers.

"Isaiah and John seemed like nice guys. They obviously love Jesse and want him to be happy. He looked awfully happy when Daryl got back from our walk". Carol smirked at Michonne.

Michonne ignored her teasing but admitted her insecurities. "I'm out of my element here. I'm a dark skinned African-American woman from Georgia. They are mostly white. They have lived in these mountains since God made them. I might as well be from Mars to them. I'm not one of them, an outlander." Michonne walked to the window and opened the door to look at the mountains, "It's a beautiful vista, but it doesn't look like home to me."

Carol scooped up Andre from the floor and carried him out on the porch. "This is Jesse's home. Andre will think of it as home and one day you will realize that it is home to you too. Just relax and let it happen over time."

Michonne leaned against the porch railing watching Daryl and Jesse bring tables from an outbuilding to a level part of the yard. "I want Andre to grow up to be a man like Jesse."

Carol thought that the most intimidating part of meeting Jesse's family was that there was so many of them. The Grahams and the Osbornes swept into the yard in a large hay wagon pulled by a team of horses. The wagon had been accompanied by several men on horseback. Those on the wagon hopped down with bowls of food and bags of supplies for the family. A medium sized gray, black, and white dog jumped off the wagon and made a beeline for Jesse.

"Have ye come home, my good boy?" Jesse crooned to the ecstatic dog who had lavished him with licks and by attempting to crawl into his lap. Jesse turned to Michonne, "We have a dog."

"What's his name? Michonne managed a weak smile. Carol could see Michonne was less than thrilled.

"This is Beau, he is still a pup, but he is a good watchdog." Jesse ordered Beau to "sit" and the dog obeyed readily.

Beau stared at Michonne and she stared back. Beau's eyes were bright blue and he seemed intelligent now that he had calmed down a little. Michonne smiled and gave the dog a friendly pet and he pushed against her hand to show her that he wanted more attention.

Andre was next and Carol was glad to see that the dog was gentle with the baby. Somebody threw a Frisbee and Beau was off chasing it down. Carol could see Daryl looking at the dog with wistful eyes and she wondered if he had had a dog when he was a boy.

John set up a donated baby bed in the master bedroom and his wife Sarah brought baby clothes and diapers. Her youngest was four and she was as she said, "Out of the baby business".

Isaiah and his wife Marissa brought a playpen and a bag of baby things. Their youngest of three children was five, but she had all sorts of stuff stored in the basement. She promised Michonne that she would be back soon after she had a chance to go through the boxes.

Jesse introduced everyone and if Carol couldn't keep their names straight no one seemed to mind. Jesse's mother had been an Osborne and there were cousins from that side and there were Isaiah and John from the Graham side. She did notice that everyone above the age of ten or so was wearing a weapon of some kind and sometimes more than one. The children stayed within the confines of the fence and the adults continually scanned their surroundings. This was a social occasion but they never let their guard completely down.

There was a few minutes of socializing and then one last group arrived in a truck. The gates were locked again and Jesse gave the blessing over the food. "Dear God, I thank you for bring me and my family home. Please bless the food and all those that are here to enjoy it. Amen".

Carol and Daryl ate dinner with Isaiah and Marissa. Isaiah, John, and Jesse had built this house and then had started their own home building business after that. "Jesse designs the house, we order the logs, and then we put it all together like a giant Lincoln Log house. I guess we're out of business now."

Marissa smiled at her husband, "I have plenty to keep you busy."

Isaiah rolled his eyes, "My Honey-Do list keeps growing."

Carol found herself relaxing and Daryl talked to Isaiah about hunting while she and Marissa talked about De Novo and life in the mountains. "We lost people like everyone else when it first started but we had a few days before it hit here. We meet at church on Sunday and after services we share a meal. Gabriel Osborne in our pastor. He's a cousin of Jesse's." Marissa's patted her shoulder. "You'll figure everybody out eventually."

Mary Grace Osborne had arrived late with her son Gabriel and his wife Melody and a teenage boy that had to be their son. Mary Grace was tall and thin. Her skin had the copper glow from her Cherokee ancestors and she had dark eyes and black hair. Gabriel and his son Elijah were tall like Mary Grace and shared her dark hair and eyes. Gabriel's eyes were dark and sad but there was a merry gleam in Elijah's. Melody had that same mischievous look and ready laugh.

Carol was surprised when Mary Grace sought her out after everyone had eaten. The older woman stared at her, "You are looking to learn how to use plants for healing." It was a statement of fact and Carol was to learn that Mary Grace liked to get to the matter at hand.

Carol nodded, "I'm just getting started. I have some books and Daryl and I have been gathering what we can find." She felt like she should apologize for knowing so little and she wondered how Mary Grace knew she was interested in medicinal plants.

"No shame in not knowing something if you are willing to work to know more. You willing to do that?" Mary Grace wasn't mincing words.

"I want to learn as much as I can." Carol answered.

"Have Jesse tell you and your man how to get to my house tomorrow morning. We'll talk then." Mary Grace looked at the sunset, "We best be going. Nothing good is out on the roads after dark."

Gabriel gave a final prayer for "traveling mercies" and everyone held hands and sang "Amazing Grace" softly. The sound seemed to linger on the evening breeze and Carol felt the tears trickle down her face. Daryl had looked horrified when the handholding began and he had grabbed her hand to ward off the others. He looked uneasily at the others and she knew that expressions of faith unnerved him.

The party ended as abruptly as it began. There were goodbye hugs and invitations to visit and then they were all standing in the driveway waving goodbye. Jesse and Daryl carried the tables back and locked the gates.

Michonne carried Andre into the house and Carol sat on the porch watching the sun set. Apparently everyone lived close enough to get home before it got dark. It felt odd to feel at home in a place so different from anywhere she had ever lived. Daryl and Jesse came up the steps with Beau at their heels and Daryl dropped into a seat beside her while Jesse went into the house. Beau dropped at their feet and kept his eyes on the fields surrounding the house.

Daryl watched the fading light for a few minutes. Carol wondered if the flag had come down at De Novo for the night yet. Sophia would be going to bed soon at Rick and Andrea's house.

"Rick and Andrea will take good care of her." Daryl said as he watched the sun disappeared from view.

"I know that, but I wished she could have been here. You were right. It was too dangerous to risk. She'd have liked that dog though." Carol wanted to lean against Daryl but he had been distant since the singing. She did anyway and ruffled his hair a little, "Maybe someday we can have a dog?"

"A real hunter don't need no dog. Just waste food." Daryl grumped.

Beau stood up and put his head against Daryl's thigh and pushed against it. Daryl glanced down and Carol could see that he wanted to push the dog away. She leaned down and petted the dog, "His fur is softer than it looks. He is just a big ole panda bear."

Beau gave her a friendly lick but continued to press against Daryl. She felt his hand in her hair tugging at the curls while his other hand rubbed Beau's head. "I can't fend off both of you."

Carol eased back in her rocking chair as Daryl let Beau lick his hand. She knew Daryl. He said one thing and meant another sometimes. He wanted her to demand a dog so that he could concede to having one. "Be good to have a watchdog like Beau."

"This dog is a big ole panda bear like you said. Don't see no watchdog here." Daryl's words were harsh but his hands on the dog were gentle. Carol smiled at him and he frowned back.

"Now whatcha smiling about. We ain't getting no dog."

"What happened to both of us making decisions? Carol decided to let him stew for a while. "But I won't argue about it. You don't want a dog like Beau; we don't get one." She got up and left Daryl with Beau. That dog could worm his way into the hardest of hearts and she would let Daryl find a way to save face and still get a dog.

Michonne and Jesse were in the kitchen wiping down counters. Jesse looked up, "Did Daryl make up with Beau yet?"

"He gave up the fight a few minutes ago. Andre asleep?" Carol went into the kitchen and washed her hands.

Jesse laughed, "He gave up the fight a few minutes ago. Are you two ladies ready for a tour of the basement?"

Carol was slightly claustrophobic but she managed an answering smile, "Sure".

Michonne muttered, "There better not be any damn spiders down there. I don't like spiders."

"I promise to kill all spiders. I'll show Daryl later. Follow me."

The basement door was steel framed and opened the locked door with a key and flipped a switch that turned the lights on. He led the way down the steps and she and Michonne followed.

"Ten foot ceilings down here. We're not down that deep. I wanted the first floor to be higher than normal. The windows are glass blocks and too small for anyone to get in that way. The storage section is here." There were tall metal shelves filled with supplies. "My gun vault is in here," and he unlocked a small room filled with weapons and ammo. Next to the gun room was another door. "Here is my cold room. I keep vegetables and fruits in here." There was a larger room inside lined with shelves and bins. Carol could see wine and liquor bottles too.

"There is a full bathroom in here" and he opened another door to show them a large modern bathroom. "I came back from Iraq messed up. Designing and building this house was my therapy."

Carol went upstairs quietly. Jesse and Michonne followed her up after grabbing a bottle from the room. Daryl and Beau came inside and Jesse poured whiskey into four tumblers. One only had a splash in it and that must be for the Michonne who was still breastfeeding Andre.

Jesse handed everyone a glass, "This whiskey was made by my cousin James and his partner Doug. They live over toward Asheville and I pray that they are enjoying a drink together tonight". They clinked glasses and drank. Carol sipped hers at first and then threw it down. It burned all the way down and glowed a bit in her stomach.

Daryl had finished his in a long gulp, "I hope for a long life and many bottles of whiskey for your cousin. That's good whiskey. I'm going upstairs before I fall down. Do we need to set watch tonight?"

Jesse shook his head, "Beau will be on watch and he'll bark if there is anything out there. John has trained him to give notice if there are any walkers around. He won't attack them unless they attack one of us. I sleep light and I'll hear Beau."

Daryl went upstairs and Carol followed Michonne to the bedroom to check on Andre. He was asleep in his secondhand crib. Carol bent and lightly kissed his curls goodnight and hugged Michonne, "I am so glad that I can tell Andrea that you are in a good place. You okay with all the family?"

"I grew up on Army bases. Me, my brother, my dad and my mother. We moved around a lot. Never really go to know my extended family. They were friendly to me, and they passed Andre around like he was a basketball in a championship game. They all wanted to hold him and claim him as one of their own. I am definitely okay with the family." Michonne pushed her out the door. "Go upstairs and love on Daryl for a while. All those smiling people make him nervous."

Daryl was already in bed when she got upstairs. Carol could see from the damp towel that he had already showered when he went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She knew Daryl was waiting on her and she quickly showered.

Daryl was standing in front of the window when she got back into the room. "The moon's coming up. She could see that he was naked and she wanted him. Wanted to touch the muscled shoulders and the narrow waist and his too skinny ass. She had responded to his touch and his kiss and his thrusts inside her, but now just an outline backlit with moonlight made her wet.

He turned to face her and the moonlight fell on her naked body and she was gratified to see him grow hard. She moved closer and he sucked a hard nipple and one finger slipped into her wet center and stroked her clit. She leaned toward him letting the pleasure build within her until she was bucking against his fingers and then she rubbed his cock until he groaned against her.

They maneuvered themselves to the bed and Carol fell back on the bed and pushed Daryl's fingers away so that he could put him inside her. He pushed himself in and began to thrust. Her orgasm was quick and powerful and Daryl's gave one last thrust and she had a sudden sharp rush of pleasure as he came inside her.

Daryl fell back on the bed. His breath was a little ragged, "Do you think that Jesse could spare a bottle of that whiskey?"

Carol laughed and pushed back her sweaty curls. "Don't think it was the whiskey."

Daryl rolled over and kissed her. "We're bewitched by the moon." He kissed her again and this time his tongue met hers in a long sweet tangle.

The second time was slow and leisurely but the pleasure was so intense that Carol thought maybe she was a little bewitched. She felt sexy and wanton and desirable. Everything that Ed had tried to beat out of her had found its way out of the cage. Her secret pleasures with the vibrator had been fueled by suppressed need and defiance. Tonight was about revealing herself fully to Daryl and maybe he was revealing himself too.

Daryl was forgetting that he didn't cuddle and she was wrapped in his arms. "If you want a dog, I'll ask Jesse if there is any around. Might be good for Sophia to have a pet. She's old enough." He kissed her ear and ran his tongue over the still damp hair behind her ear. "You taste salty."

Carol smiled at Daryl's easy capitulation on the dog. Part of her wanted to tease him by telling him that they should wait on the dog, but she wouldn't be so heartless. "You should pick it out. You know more about dogs than I do." She kissed him and closed her eyes and let a peaceful sleep come to her.

The next morning after breakfast she and Daryl headed toward Mary Grace's place. There was a fence around the yard but the gate was open. There were two houses and she guessed that the larger log house would belong to Gabriel and Melody. The houses were joined together by a glassed in breezeway and the smaller one was built as a hexagon with two stories. Mary Grace was working in a garden beside the house and she straightened up and stood waiting.

Gabriel met them on the walkway. "Mom wants you to come on over and Daryl I have something to show you." Daryl shrugged his shoulders and Carol waved goodbye to him as she walked along the graveled walkway toward Mary Grace.

Mary Grace opened the door to her house, "Come on in."

Carol was suddenly mindful of that fairy tale in which foolish children follow the witch into a house made of candy. The single room that constituted the main floor was walled in books and art work. Mary Grace bypassed some comfortable looking couches and chairs and sat her down at the dining room table. The older woman served her a cup of tea and Carol's lips curled into a smile when she tasted Earl Grey tea.

Mary Grace smiled back, "I'll give you something more exotic next time. I used to get a few wannabe shamans who somehow found me and wanted to become healers overnight. It doesn't work that way. Healing isn't just about handing out a few plants. It takes looking beyond the symptoms and letting the body heal itself with a little help." The older woman handed her a thick folder. "Here are photographs and samples of common plants that can promote healing. Native medicine is subtle. We don't have powerful antibiotics, so it important to push the body to fight illness. Many sicknesses come from a divided spirit. Health comes from a mind and body working together."

Carol had the sudden remembrance of the first time she was with Daryl when she felt as her body and mind were in complete agreement that she give herself to him. She felt herself blush. "That makes sense to me."

Mary Grace patted her hand, "You love him, but you are afraid that he is going to leave you. Don't let fear rob you of happiness."

"How do you know that?"

"I have a touch of psychic abilities and I watch people. You have it too, but you haven't learned to trust it yet. It is a good attribute for a healer. Daryl doesn't know how to love but he loves you. It frightens him to love you as much as he does. You know that already, don't you?"

Carol nodded, "I'm afraid that he will let the fear overwhelm him."

"Give him time. He's working things out in his head. You have a daughter?" Mary Grace looked out the front window and Carol saw a shadow pass over her face.

"Sophia. She is back in De Novo waiting for us." Carol wished again that Sophia was with them.

"He loves her and loving a child is less threatening for him. He thinks of her as his child. It's a terrible thing to lose a child."

"Where is your daughter?" Carol asked.

Mary Grace gave her a rueful look, "You are learning to trust those abilities. My daughter Christina was finishing up her residency in family medicine in Charlotte when this started. She joined some friends and they traveled to safe place in mountains along the Virginia-North Carolina border. She got there and they were bunkered in last summer. She is still alive. I know it. I feel it. Jesse made it home and she can too." Mary Grace wept and Carol put her arms around her and let her cry it out.

"Jesse will go after her when he finds out. They have always been close. More like sister and brother than cousins. He has a family now so I have asked the others not to tell him. I can't risk losing him too." Mary Grace wiped her face. "You're going to be a good healer."

They spent the rest of the time going over Mary Grace's notes. Carol's head was filled with all sorts of new knowledge when Daryl came by. He was leading an Australian Shepherd that looked a good deal like Beau. "Gotcha that dog that you wouldn't stop yapping about."

Carol exchanged a look with Mary Grace. She hid her grin by bending to pet their new dog. "What's her name?"

"Bayla, it means beautiful in Hebrew. Gabriel breeds and trains dogs as well as being a preacher. Bayla is a sister to Beau. He has trained her to be a guard dog and she is really smart." Daryl squatted down beside the dog and Bayla licked his face.

Carol hugged Mary Grace goodbye. "We're probably going back tomorrow so I don't know when I will see you again anytime soon."

Mary Grace hugged her back, "It won't be that long. You take good care of this woman or you'll answer to me." She gave Daryl a stern look.

Daryl nodded, "Yes, ma'am, I do my best, but she is awful wilful at times. Gets things in her head like getting a dog and she never lets up." He was grinning as he was talking and Carol wondered if he was on to her.

Bayla sat by the window on the way back to Jesse and Michonne's. Beau met them as Carol opened the door for Bayla to jump out and the two dogs spent twenty minutes chasing each other around the yard. Brother and sister were glad to be reunited and Carol thought of Christina. Was she alive? Jesse would ask about her if he hadn't already. What would he do if he found out that her mother believed her to be alive?

AN

My sister is owned by a brother and sister pair of dogs. They play all day long and are a joy to her. So I give you Bayla and Beau.


	9. Judgment Call

Judgment Call

Jesse was resting. He wasn't a good patient but Michonne wasn't a good nurse either. Carol ended the battle of wills by reminding Jesse that his family needed him to be well. Michonne and Andre left the room and Jesse crawled back into bed.

Carol wiped his face with a cool cloth, "Your body needs to heal. It takes time to get back to normal." Carol motioned for him to sit up and she propped him up with pillows. "You're home now. Let yourself relax."

Jesse took her hand, "I can never thank you all enough. Michonne and I were down for the count when Daryl and Rick waded into the fight. You two could have just sent us out to find our own way home. Instead you gave us a vehicle and brought us home safely. I'll owe you forever."

She wiped his face again, "Sophia was alone in the woods after a walker herd separated us. Daryl and Rick plunged into those woods and Daryl found her and brought her back to me. You saved Andre when your camp was overrun. By now we all owe somebody forever. It is the way it is now. Now you will rest because I might need you to save me tomorrow."

Jesse closed his eyes and Carol sat down by the bed. Sunlight came slicing in through the gaps where the windows were boarded up but the room was nicely furnished with two full dressers, night tables, a walk in closet, and a comfortable chair by a window. Andre's crib was over by a window and this room looked occupied. People lived here. There was just a remnant of humanity left but somehow life was going to go on because men like Daryl and Jesse would do the right thing even if it killed them. It was who they were.

She slipped out of the room and went back to the great room. There were photos on the mantel and she searched for the one that she knew would be there. Jesse, Gabriel, and a woman that must be Christina. There was no mistaking her resemblance to Mary Grace and there was no doubt that Jesse would go after her if he knew she might be alive. Daryl would go with him. Both of them could die out there and she and Michonne would be left alone.

The smiling woman in the photo looked as if she could defend herself. Carol envied her that strength. Was she already among the dead? Was she alive and waiting for help that wasn't coming?

Mary Grace Osborne had asked her family not to tell Jesse that Christina might be alive. Carol had gotten the impression that most of the family thought Christina was dead. No one would ever know that Mary Grace had told her that she believed her daughter was still alive. She could keep quiet and she and Daryl could go back to their life at De Novo. Michonne could have a happy life with Jesse and Andre.

Carol went out on the front porch. Daryl was doing something with the truck. Something to ensure that it would be safe for the return De Novo . Michonne was throwing a Frisbee for the dogs and Andre was squealing with delight at their antics. She could keep her secret. She knew all about keeping secrets. She had kept secrets all her life with Ed.

It wasn't her place to tell. Mary Grace had chosen not to tell Jesse. It was Mary Grace's secret. Michonne and Andre needed Jesse. She and Sophia needed Daryl. She would not tell.

Carol went into the kitchen and filled a pitcher with water and found some glasses. Michonne and Andre were coming back in with the dogs. Carol poured water into a glass and handed it to Michonne. The dog's bowl was empty and she filled it up. She took a glass to Daryl.

Carol kept busy the rest of the day. She cleaned, cooked, and washed clothes and hung them out to dry in the warm sunshine. Jesse slept most of the afternoon away. Carol avoided looking at the photograph but she knew that it was there, that the smiling woman was out there somewhere.

They ate supper on the porch. Andre seemed content to play with some toys and the dogs seemed content to watch the perimeter with only an occasional glance at the food. Carol was found it difficult to talk or to eat. Her throat was filled with her secret.

Daryl was giving her a few looks. She had barely spoken to him since they got back and the secretive part of her reminded her that she could just tell him that she was missing Sophia. He would believe that and it was partly true. Secrets and lies went hand in hand.

"Let's go for a walk after we eat." His blue eyes were so open, not secrets there.

Carol managed a weak smile, "Sounds good." He was giving her an opportunity to lie to him.

Michonne and Jesse grabbed the dishes, "You two go take your walk. We'll clean up."

"It's going to be windy. Might want a sweater or something." Daryl gathered up his bow and Carol went upstairs to get a jacket.

They took the same path as yesterday and the evening light gave it a special golden glow. Carol saw the beauty but like everything else it was muted because of the coming lie. She glanced at Daryl who looked as if he had rolled in dirt but still looked good to her. She was fairly certain that Daryl attracted dirt like a magnet attracts iron.

Daryl stopped at the flat rock on the summit. He moved in all directions as if he were trying to memorize how it looked. Daryl was more at home out here in the wilderness than at De Novo. She wished she had a camera to capture this moment. Daryl with the backdrop of the mountains behind him.

"What's wrong?" He turned his attention toward her and the lie was just waiting to leap out of her mouth and begin to spread its poison. Daryl had leaped over that guard rail after Sophia and ran toward trees that might harbor a thousand hungry walkers without a second thought. He brought her baby back to her and hadn't even wanted a thank you.

Mary Grace's daughter was in the woods surrounded by walkers. Daryl was a good man. He would always run toward danger to save somebody's daughter or their son or their dog. It was who he was and if she loved him then she would have to accept that.

Carol put her arms around Daryl and hugged him close. "I found out something today and I need to talk to you about it."

He listened. Daryl was a good listener. They sat side by side looking at the world around them while she told him everything she knew. He nudged her shoulder when she was finished. "When do we tell Jesse?"

She leaned against him, "Maybe we stay another day and tell him tomorrow evening. He needs more rest. Maybe tomorrow we go visit Mary Grace and Gabriel?"

He nodded, "You know that he needs me to go with him? His cousins are needed here to protect their families. What about Michonne?"

Carol sighed, "I'll talk to Mary Grace. Michonne may take that katana and skewer both of us."

Michonne and Jesse were relieved to learn that their friends were staying at least one more day. Daryl offered to get up early and go hunting. Jesse wanted to go along and take the dogs.

Carol and Michonne talked on the porch with the dogs lying at their feet. Andre was asleep in his crib and Jesse and Daryl were in the basement cleaning weapons. Michonne had confiscated a jacket of Jesse to fight off the evening chill and Carol thought of the coming cold weather. It would be far worse here than in Georgia.

"Do you all have enough firewood?" There was a shed with wood piled high in it. How long could Michonne survive up here without Jesse?

Michonne nodded, "Jesse says we do. He cuts wood a year in advance so that it can be dry when it burns. He thinks we're fine. He says that Mary Grace has the most books around so I may visit her soon to see if I can borrow some books. I hope we are still on good terms after a long winter together."

"Jesse seems like an easy going guy."

"He is, but I may go bat shit crazy. I'm not exactly a frontier woman." Michonne gave her a rueful smile. "Why don't you send Daryl back to get Sophia and Andrea's clan and we'll just hang out together?"

Carol laughed. "Be careful or we'll move in next week."

"That would be all right with me. Probably be fine with Jesse too. He told me last night that his company has the logs for two more houses at their warehouse. They were delivered this summer and then everything went sideways." Michonne stood up. "I'm going to go check on Andre, you coming in?"

"It's getting cold. I'm coming with you." Carol stood up and stretched. The dogs did too. They were sleeping inside until Jesse was certain that they were walker ready.

Carol went on upstairs to get ready for bed. She was reading through Mary Grace's notes and writing down questions she had when Daryl came in. She glanced up as he went on to the bathroom and she could hear the shower running. Andrea would be so proud.

She immersed herself again in the folder of information. The bathroom door opened and Daryl came out freshly shaven and scrubbed reasonably clean and wearing a pair of boxers. He arranged clothes so that he could find them quickly. Hers were on a chair beside her bed.

Daryl slid into bed, "You didn't want to tell me. That is why you were moping all day."

"I knew that you would go with Jesse. I don't want to lose you. You're awfully useful at times." She put l her notes back in the folder. Carol knew that Daryl wasn't ready for her to fall into his arms and declare undying love. She was keeping this light.

"You ain't gonna lose me. I'm like a stray dog that you fed too many times. I'm gonna hang around for whatever scraps you throw my way." Daryl inched toward her, "Can you think of any way I can be useful right now?"

Carol put the folder on the night stand. "Got some ideas." She closed the gap between them and straddled him. "You aren't a stray dog anymore. You're part of the pack."

"I don't care if I'm not the lead dog as long as I am partnered with you." He squeezed her ass and Carol knew that statement was his way of saying that he was happy to be with her.

She smiled down at him, "Wanna make yourself useful."

"You're gonna kill me, but I'm dying with a smile on my face."

She was up early the next day to go over the folder. Daryl and Jesse found a few rabbits for dinner and they came back pleased with the dogs.

Mary Grace didn't seem surprised to see her again. Carol sat beside of Daryl as he and Mary Grace went through all the information on Christina. She had been in a remote house close to the border between North Carolina and Virginia. I-77 was close by but completely clogged with traffic. There was food and water there and Christina was hoping that things would settle back down and she could get home later.

"We're gonna tell Jesse today. We'll probably go to De Novo tomorrow so that Carol can be with Sophia. What about Michonne and Andre?" Daryl was concerned about their safety

"They can stay with us. Gabriel is going to want to go, but honestly he would probably wouldn't be much help. He's never been the hunter that Christina is. They are polar opposites. He is spiritual and solemn. Well-behaved. She was/is a hell raiser. She was in ROTC while she was in college to become a nurse. She served in Iraq and Afghanistan and probably a lot of places that I don't know about." Carol could feel the longing in Mary Grace's voice and knew that telling Daryl was the right thing to do. Now if only the road to hell wasn't paved with good intentions.

Daryl broke the news to Jesse that afternoon. Jesse told Michonne because no one else had that much courage. Carol expected rage and angry accusations but was more wounded by Michonne's tears. The angry accusations never came because Jesse and Michonne took a long walk and when they came back Michonne was under control.

She and Michonne talked after supper while Michonne rocked Andre to sleep. "I didn't want to tell Daryl. I knew he would tell Jesse and what would happen. Don't blame Daryl. It's on me."

Michonne played with the curls on her son's head. He was almost asleep and he gave a contented little sigh. "I saw you looking at those photos yesterday. You looked ready to confess to killing the Lindbergh baby. I thought that maybe you and Daryl had a fight or something." She looked at Carol with tears brimming in her dark eyes, "I didn't know how much I loved him. I thought it was mostly gratitude for saving Andre and for being such a trustworthy man. It's more than that. I am in love with him. He'll find her if she is still alive and then he'll come home to us."

She put Andre in his crib, "Let's go find Jesse and Daryl. I'm not happy about being sent off to live with Mary Grace but I'm going to be nice about it. Jesse has enough to deal with without me being a hysterical female."

Carol rode back down the mountain the next morning with Daryl. Jesse had taken Michonne and Andre to Mary Grace's house earlier and he followed them down. Daryl was going to take Carol home and then rendezvous with Jesse. From there the two men were headed east toward the Virginia-North Carolina.

The guards at the gate waved them in and Daryl drove toward their house. Glenn was in charge of runs while he was gone and Carol could see that the trucks were out. That probably meant that Rick and Morgan were out too.

Carol saw Sophia pop out of Andrea's house and knew that it was lunch time. School ended at noon and normally everyone went home to eat. Sophia hugged her and Carol closed her eyes and said a prayer of thanks that her daughter was safe and in her arms.

She loosened her hold on Sophia thinking that Daryl would want to say hello to her. She opened her eyes and saw Merle Dixon leaning against a tree.

"Well, lookee here. The wandering lovebirds have come home to roost." Merle crowed.

Carol thought, "Oh, shit."

AN

Merle still has his hand in this story and he was never one of the Governor's henchmen. Review?


	10. Brotherly Love

Brotherly Love

Merle had arrived at De Novo two days ago to find that his brother Daryl and his live-in Carol somebody or other had left the settlement to escort two strangers back to their home up in the mountains. Merle had spent the last two days roaming around De Novo sometimes with that pain in the ass Rick Grimes and sometimes with the live-in's daughter Sophia. He found Sophia better company but he and Rick had settled their differences without bloodshed.

Merle had been contemplating cutting his own hand off on that rooftop after ranting to God that he wasn't going to beg. His shouting had been heard by a scavengers who managed to come upstairs and cut Merle loose. His rescuers had dragged his dehydrated body back to their settlement outside of Atlanta. Their refuge had previously housed a research and development complex for a major military supplier. There was a strong fence about the building and a dependable source for water. One of the scavengers had been a security officer there before the event.

The core of this new group had been members of the New Life with Christ Community Church. Their faith demanded that they rescue Merle. He was severely dehydrated and he had an unexplained head wound that less him concussed for weeks. The New Lifers had tended to him as if he were a baby because Merle was slow to regain his strength and it was at least two weeks before he was able to go back to the quarry to find Daryl. He could see evidence that the camp had been attacked and later abandoned.

Merle went back to the New Lifers. He had been clean and sober for a month and he owed it to them. They were good people in an increasingly bad world and as much as their reliance on the teachings of their faith annoyed him he stayed. Most of them were clueless in how to survive in this new world and he didn't want to be alone. He ignored their relentless assault on his "lost" status and by and large they ignored his being "Merle". It was a working relationship but he was relieved when their group was rescued by the army.

He and the New Lifers were taken to a resettlement camp ran by Dr. Rahmael Ferrell. Merle's first interview with Dr. Rahmael Ferrell had not gone terribly well. Dr. Ferrell's dark bottomless eyes made Merle nervous. Merle hated the way Dr. Ferrell would listen to some of his bullshit and then say, "Start over and tell the truth." In the end, Merle confessed to being a drug dealing druggie who had never done anything good in his whole life. Why bother with a washed up piece of shit like him? They'd send him out to make his own way. That's the way it had always been.

Dr. Ferrell continued to meet with Merle every day and every day Merle would start the interview with bravado and end with truth. Merle hated it. He felt like a fucking pussy crying around about his dead mother and his vicious father. They were dead and gone; they couldn't hurt him anymore.

Merle had went full Merle on the fifth meeting. He had a meltdown and told Dr. Ferrell that he wasn't going through this shit anymore. He could take care of his own damn self and he was leaving the camp. He should have left a week ago.

Dr. Ferrell had said, "Be still, Merle".

Dr. Ferrell had always let him go on spewing his pent up rage until he was through and Merle was surprised enough to shut up.

"You aren't ready to go and you don't want to go or you would have taken off a week ago. I know where your brother is and I am not going to tell you until I know that you are ready." Dr. Ferrell sat back in his chair still keeping eye contact with Merle.

"You know where Daryl is and you didn't tell me. Fuck you. You tell me now or I'm going to kick your skinny Black ass." Merle was shaking. Daryl was alive and Dr. Ferrell hadn't told him and that made him furious.

"I am not going to tell you now. Sit down. We're just getting started. I will tell you when you're ready. He is alive and doing well from all reports. So are you going to work with me or continue to fight against me?" As always Dr. Ferrell spoke gently but there was no fear in the way he looked at him.

Merle had managed to bully and intimidate men much younger and bigger than this old geezer, but Dr. Ferrell wasn't afraid of him. "When will you tell me?" Maybe he could sneak in here and find the information on the resettlement in that file cabinet.

"I will tell you when you are ready. You are going to stay here with me when your group moves on. You can be very useful here and we can continue to have our daily chats. Don't bother to look in the file cabinet. It's not there." Dr. Ferrell smiled at him, "Yesterday you were telling me about your time in the army. So why don't we start from there."

Merle sat down. Daryl was alive and eventually Dr. Ferrell would tire of listening to his whining recollections about life at Chez Dixon. Merle was closer to fifty than he liked to admit. He was too old and too set in his twisted ways to think that there was a happy ending for him.

Dr. Rahmiel had kept him there for three months. Merle worked with the soldiers in rescuing other survivors and he couldn't quite believe that in this new world he was one of the good guys. He was bringing back men, women, and children to a safe place where there was food and strong walls. The kids thought he was hot shit and followed him around the camp like he was a damn hero. He growled at them at first but eventually he amused himself by telling them wild stories of his supposed adventures. Merle figured that they knew he was lying through his teeth but maybe they needed to believe that he was strong enough to protect them.

He had been with Dr. Ferrell for over two months when Dr. Ferrell began to tell him about Daryl. His little brother was in a North Carolina settlement. There were survivors from the quarry along with people from many different places. Every day Dr. Ferrell would tell him some tidbit about Daryl and his time at the camp.

Then several days ago Dr. Ferrell told him that Daryl was here and that there was an army convoy going in that direction and they could take him with them. The convoy was going to spend the night at De Novo.

Merle hugged Dr. Ferrell goodbye before he left the camp, "You take care of yourself, you old asshole."

Dr. Ferrell hugged him back, "Merle, I will miss you. You are a good man. Now listen to your better angels and tell the others to go fuck themselves."

Merle started laughing at the old man's profanity as he climbed into the truck. He must have laughed until he cried because there was no other reason why tears were streaking down his cheeks as the convoy cleared the gates.

The trip to De Novo had been bumpy. The herds were clumping up in Georgia and the convoy had been fired upon in South Carolina by ambushers who soon disappeared when the soldiers fired back. North Carolina had blocked roads and Merle was on edge by the time the trucks moved up the steep hill toward the camp.

Daryl wasn't there and Major Nelson had sent him to Rick Grimes. The man who had handcuffed him to the rooftop and left him to die. Rick insisted that they had been back the next day but that he was gone by them. Merle decided to let him live because it was his first day at De Novo and he should try to make a good impression.

Rick took him to his house for dinner. Rick mentioned that he was with Andrea. Andrea's sister Amy had been bitten at the quarry during a walker attack. Merle remembered Andrea as a blond hottie and her little sister as a nice kid.

Andrea greeted him more warmly than he deserved. She was the one to tell him that Daryl was living in the house next door with Carol and Sophia. The concept that Daryl was that connected to someone other than himself staggered Merle. Daryl had always had women sniffing around him and once in a while he sniffed back. He had never known Daryl to go back for seconds. The boy could be ass deep in pussy but he never bothered to give them a line of bullshit. He was just there to get laid and he had slacked off even at that the last few years.

Merle couldn't remember which one of the women was Carol, but he did remember Sophia at the quarry. She had an absolute asshole for a dad and a dreary mother. Apparently the asshole had bit the dust at the quarry and dreary mom had survived. The idea of dreary mom keeping Daryl at her side with because she was putting out seemed unlikely.

He did like Sophia however. She seemed to find him entertaining and snickered at his rude comments. She was a voracious reader like him and had taken him to the library on his first day there. She liked fantasy and science fiction and he liked biographies and military history. They might be divided by the Dewey Decimal classifications but they were bonded by a mutual love of reading.

At sunset Sophia took him to the watchtower to watch the flag come down. They had sat on the deck and watched the sun go down and the stars come out. Sophia talked about coming here with dreary mom Carol and Daryl to look for constellations. The girl adored Daryl. Every word and nuance dripped trust and affection for his backward brother and her mother. The kid was missing them and she chatted his ass off about good ole mom and Daryl D.

Sophia was staying with the Grimes family but they gave him the key to Daryl's house. That first night he prowled through the house. Daryl's bedroom was on the first floor and he seemed to be sleeping alone down here while Carol and Sophia slept upstairs.

Sophia had laughed about her mom and Daryl working on the kitchen. Her mother was quite the do it yourselfer and Daryl had helped. Daryl had dropped some colorful language during renovation. The kitchen looked nice. It had a friendly warm vibe to it. Nothing fancy, but it was comfortable. There were plants that Carol must use in cooking and some that were just there to be pretty.

Sophia's bedroom had that rainbow mobile that Daryl had brought back from a run and books everywhere. Sophia had a laptop and he rifled through her photographs. Dreary mom was a lot prettier than he remembered. Daryl looking healthy and almost smiling in a few of the photos. One was taken up in the watchtower by someone else. Sophia in the middle and Carol and Daryl on either side. Looking like a family.

Carol's bedroom had her clothes. She and Daryl weren't sharing a bedroom, but he would bet his balls that they were doing the nasty. He was happy that Daryl was getting some but where did that leave him?

Merle slept that night in Daryl's room. He had started on the couch but it was just too small. Rick woke him up early the next morning to go on a run with him. Rick had dropped some hints that the snake in this little Eden was a man named Phillip Blake.

The little Chinaman was in charge. Glenn Rhee who apparently was humping a hot chick named Maggie. Glenn in charge was a stretch but the trip went well. Glenn had a solid plan and the run crew was well trained. Rick had told him that Daryl had been in charge of runs since they got there.

Philip Blake had slithered up next to him in the truck and started a conversation, "Hello, my name is Phillip Blake and I am a big fan of your brother. Daryl has done an excellent job. De Novo is prepared for the winter because of him." Phillip extended his hand and Merle shook it politely.

Merle felt a sliver of fear go up his back when he touched Phillip's hand. He had dealt with some cold blooded fuckers in his past, but there was something so coldly malicious about the way that Phillip praised Daryl that told him that Phillip wanted his brother dead.

Glenn had been on the rooftop that day. Merle decided to grow a pair and apologize to him before they finished the run. He and Glenn had cleared out a small electronic store while part of the team stood guard and the others were loading supplies from an already looted supermarket. Together he and Glenn picked up some heavy boxes and shoved them in the smaller truck. Glenn was wiry strong and he didn't hesitate to do his share.

"I was out of control that day in Atlanta. I put everyone in danger by the way I acted. I'm sorry for being such a total fuckup." Merle hated having to apologize, but making amends was part of the program.

Glenn looked at him skeptically, but Merle held his hand out. Glenn shrugged his shoulders and shoot his hand, "Merle, welcome to De Novo. It means "new start". You get one too."

Merle said, "I want to pick up a good digital camera for Sophia. Are we allowed to do that on runs?"

"There are some good ones in the back room. I'll show you and you better get a couple of solar chargers, extra batteries, and some sd cards." Glenn led the way to the storeroom in the back and picked out everything Sophia would need.

He rode back with Glenn and Rick. "Phillip hates Daryl and I don't think you two are on his short list to be his bff either. He's gonna make a move soon. The convoy took some of the soldiers that were here with them. Who is on your side?" He might be a damn pussy who has to apologize but he was gonna tell the truth as he saw it.

"He has Martinez and Shumpert who were with him when the soldiers picked them up on the road here. He has Alex, Gareth, and Mary. I think they know what he is up to, but don't care. Phillip has been poisoning the well for months. Telling the others that we keep all the good stuff on runs and that we get special favors from the army. He has the ear of some of the soldiers that want to desert and stay here." Rick looked out the window. "Phillip takes more than his share on runs but he gives everything to his followers. The only ones I really trust now are the people that came in with us from the quarry. Morgan and Ginny and Hershel's people."

Glenn took it up, "Phillip is smart. He has Mary to talk to the women. Alex works on the farming crew. Gareth works in the storehouse. Morgan thinks he is stealing but he hasn't caught him yet. There is enough to go around, but they are doing a whisper campaign to convince the others that we can't make it through the winter."

Rick muttered, "It's worse than that." He proceeded to tell Glenn and Merle about the overrun camp outside Savannah and how Jesse and Michonne had named Philip, Martinez, and Shumpert as the men who had used an army truck to break down the gate that allowed a herd to kill the people inside.

Merle wanted a big glass of something alcoholic. Dealing with real life was a bitch. "Phillip won't just banish you. They might tell the others that they'll throw you out but they'll kill you outside the walls. Phillip doesn't want everyone to know what he is. He wants to rule this place."

Glenn nodded, "We can't throw them out because they'll come back and kill us in our sleep."

Merle had to hand it to the kid. He had a grasp of reality that Officer Friendly didn't, "Rick, there isn't any law any more. You either protect Blondie and your kid or you don't. I imagine Phillip would fancy a woman like Andrea."

Rick stared out of the window some more. Fucker didn't like to deal with reality either. "You're right, but we need Daryl and we need you, Merle."

The thought of Rick Grimes admitting that he needed him made Merle want to tell him to fuck off and that he was just here for Daryl. Dr. Ferrell had told him to tell his lesser angels to fuck off. "Daryl seems to care about you assholes so we better start posting guards at night. Better get Morgan and the others in on the low down."

Rick must have decided that he was his asshole buddy after that conversation so Merle had to spend way too much time hanging out with Rick after that. Fucker.

Sophia and her little asshole buddy Carl decided that they wanted to stay with him that night. Merle only let them because he wanted to keep an eye on Sophia. Something happened Rick would protect his kid and Andrea was too busy puking her guts up to do much else. Probably knocked up. Daryl loved this kid and maybe he did too.

He put up with their nonsense as long as he could stand it and then told them to get "The fuck upstairs and leave him alone." The two of them just grinned and went to bed upstairs. Merle turned the lights off and waited through the night. Nothing was going to happen to little Missy or that little shit Carl on his watch.

Merle had woken them up early and walked them to Andrea's who was looking really green this morning. He gave her his most shit eating grin, "Hope it was worth it."

Andrea wiped her face with a wet cloth, "Shut the fuck up, Merle."

He then went back and slept until he heard a truck pull up in the driveway. Daryl was driving and Carol hopped out to hug Sophia. Daryl had come around the truck waiting for Sophia to hug him.

The boy looked good. Clean shaven and in reasonably clean clothes. Merle stepped out on the porch and Daryl saw him and ran toward him and hugged him as hard as Sophia had hugged her mother.

Carol looked stunned, but she managed a smile in his direction. She moved Sophia toward the house and the entire Dixon family was under one roof.

Daryl moved toward his room, "Come on, Merle. We haven't much time. We've got to meet Jesse." Merle followed him and found Daryl grabbing clean clothes and some more bolts. He handed Merle a rifle and pistol and some ammo. "Grab your bag. We have to go."

Merle did as he was told. "What about your squeeze and her kid? You just gonna leave them here?" Didn't seem right to leave them unprotected.

Daryl picked up his bag, "Rick and Morgan will watch over them. Carol and Sophia are going to stay with Rick. We'll be back as soon as we can be."

Carol was in the kitchen packing food and water. Daryl hugged Sophia who was looking a little lost. "Me and Merle have to go somewhere. We'll be back soon." She nodded and carried his pack out to the truck with Merle.

Daryl was in the kitchen with Carol when they came back into the house. He picked up the bag of food and handed it to Merle. "I'll be out in a minute."

Merle sent Sophia out in front of him and turned to see his bashful brother wrap up Carol with his arms and kiss her like he fucking loved her. Merle went outside and waited with Sophia.

Daryl and Carol weren't long. Daryl was talking to Sophia and Carol turned to him, "You'll watch out for him? You won't let anything happen to Daryl?" She had been a mouse at the quarry but there was a fierceness about her now. She was a lioness and she would kill to protect her kitten or her mate. Good to know that she had some gumption after all.

"Ain't nothing going to happen to Daryl. You take care of Sophia and I'll watch over Daryl." He gave her a little pat and she surprised him by hugging him. Nice rack and ass. Daryl was definitely hitting that.

Sophia hugged him too, "You take care of yourself, Uncle Asskicker."

He hugged her back, "I always do, Little Missy. Nothing going to kill Merle but Merle."

Daryl hugged Carol, "Be safe."

Damn hug fest. You'd think they were the Brady Bunch from all those hugs and kisses.

Daryl and Merle were out the gates of De Novo and back on the highway in ten minutes. Daryl had filled him in on the dumb ass plan to rescue somebody's cousin. The boy had shit for brains but he was with Daryl and he was still sober.

Merle gave a silent prayer that De Novo wouldn't implode until they got back. He had family there.

**AN**

**Merle is a lot more mellow in this story. Remember he hasn't lost his hand or joined up with Phillip Blake. He has been in counseling with Dr. Rahmiel Ferrell for months.**

**Rahmiel is the angel of love by the way.**

**Review and let me know how you feel about this story**.


	11. Three Guys

Three Guys

Daryl swung the truck behind the burn out remains of a warehouse and saw that Jesse was out of the Cherokee keeping an eye on his surroundings. "That's Jesse. It's his cousin that we're looking for." He grabbed his pack out of the back and Merle followed him with his bag.

Jesse opened the back of the Cherokee, I brought some more firepower."

Daryl glancing in two saw several rifles, two pistols, a small collection of knives and swords. "This is my brother Merle, the meanest son of a bitch that ever lived. He is going with us. Merle, this is my friend, Jesse." You never knew about Merle. He might decide that he was going to go all white supremacist or he might shake hands and play nice.

Merle looked over the weapons and then gave Jesse his approving face, "Got some good shit here. It ain't your first rodeo." Merle shook hands with Jesse and Daryl let out a sigh of relief.

"You take what you need, Merle. Michonne and I have used swords and machetes on the way home. Puts the dead down without some much noise." Jesse grabbed their packs and stowed them in the back of the vehicle, "I'm ready when you are."

"Merle is a hell of driver. Let him drive and we'll be on the lookout." Daryl trusted a sober Merle to drive through almost anything and a stoned Merle could drive better than most sober people.

Jesse handed Merle the keys. Merle and Jesse looked over the highway map to find a route that would keep them from going through any populated area. Daryl went on watch. He knew Glenn had the run crew out on a run and he didn't want to run into Philip Blake and his buddies out here.

Traveling was slow. There were traffic jams and walkers to contend with and it began to rain. Their home for the night was a farmhouse about five miles up a gravel road. Jesse and Merle went in to clear the structure. There was an old log barn a hundred yards away down closer to the creek and Daryl ventured down expecting to see animals that had been penned up and died of thirst. It was still raining and he could see fog rising from the hills.

He could see cows milling around the creek and the door to the barn was shut from the inside. He went around to the back and found a door unlocked. Daryl smelled the dead before he could see them. An old man and woman were upstairs in the hayloft. Two shots to the head and a pistol off to side. Suicide. Opting out.

Daryl walked down and looked at the cattle mostly to occupy himself from thinking about the old man shooting his wife and then himself. How much he must have loved her to do that? How there was no reason to live without her. Why would he choose the barn?

The house was clear when he got back. Merle was on the porch waiting for him. "Getting ready to go look for you, little bruther."

Daryl hugged Merle, "About time your miserable ass showed up."

The three of them sat on the front porch and talked that night. Jesse had cooked supper while he and Merle scavenged the house for supplies. Jesse had looked at the medications in the master bedroom. The old lady was taking medication for Alzheimer's.

Jesse stood up and looked out at the rain, "He knew he couldn't protect her. He was a diabetic. Something happened to him and she would be helpless. He might attack her. I understand why he did it."

Merle spit off the porch, "Didn't want to mess up the house because she always kept it neat. Took her to the hayloft for a reason. Maybe he thought the walkers wouldn't get to it. Maybe they used to fuck there. Who knows?"

"I watched Michonne in the camp. She had this brilliant smile and she was incredibly beautiful. Andre's father and his friend were in the tent beside her so I never tried to get to know her. The camp was overrun when Philip Blake tore the gate down with big truck. Michonne was on a run and I found Andre and got him over the fence. I waited until she got back from the run. We took off together."

"I don't know when I started loving her. We were a team with only one purpose. Keep Andre alive. She was beautiful to me no matter how dirty or disgusting she smelled. We took turns on watch every night and we took turns carrying Andre. She was funny and we would laugh all the time about stupid shit. We found places to stay, but she would always look at me after a few days and say that we weren't home yet. The first night back in the mountains she came to me and held out her hand. Told me that we were home now."

Merle smirked, "So you get up there, stay two days all cozied up, and then you leave her ass? She might have a new man by the time we get you home again."

"She understands about Christie. My dad and mother were killed in a car wreck when I was seven. Aunt Mary Grace took me in and I lived there with Christie and Gabriel until I joined the army at eighteen. Christie is like my sister. I have to find her."

"I had to go find my brother. I get it." Merle glanced at Daryl, "So when did you fall in love with Carol? Damn, I feel my testosterone leaking out of me. Are we going to give each other a manicure?"

Merle went on to tell a funny story about seducing a good looking New Life woman who was trying to lead him toward salvation. Merle could be entertaining when he wanted to be. "Now I told my story, so Daryl how did you wind up with a hot babe like Carol?"

"Ain't that much to tell. Dr. Ferrell paired us up before we left the camp. Told me to protect her and Sophia and to teach her how to fight. I did that. End of story." Daryl wasn't going to talk about Carol.

"That sounds like where the story started. Oh, come on. Just tell us how it was living with Carol and Sophia after being my roomie."

"She and Sophia slept upstairs. I slept downstairs. She fixed houses and I went on runs." Daryl thought that was enough until Jesse threw him under the bus.

"There was more than that going on the nights I stayed in your house and the nights you stayed in my house." Jesse laughed, "I wasn't worried about me and Michonne making sounds if you get my drift."

Daryl glared at both of them, "I'm not in love with her. We're partners. I don't know how to love anybody but my sorry brother."

Merle's voice was soft. "We never saw much love growing up. Did you teach her how to fight?"

"Carol works out almost every day with weapons. She's good with the machete and the knife. She can use a pistol and a rifle. She ain't big and strong but she is tough in her mind. I started taking her out on Sundays so that she could search for medicinal plants and I could give her practice in taking down walkers." Daryl was suddenly so lonesome for Carol that he shut up.

"Sophia loves you. So you did something right with her. The girl says you and her momma love each other." Merle was pushing, but Merle had always pushed for something.

"I care about her and Sophia. I'm not calling it love, but being around them makes me happy. All my life I've been drifting along and being with Carol is like an island. For once I feel like I am on solid ground and I don't ever want to go back into the water." Daryl wished he hadn't said anything.

Jesse turned to him, "You see Carol as your partner. You care about her and her child. They make you happy. You never want to leave her. Daryl that is what grownup love feels like."

Merle laughed, "Noisy, the little mouse was making a racket?"

"Shut the fuck up, Merle. Ain't your business." Daryl had to laugh a little. Carol wasn't all that loud, but she did voice her appreciation from time to time.

"I did take a gander at the women of De Novo. Maybe I'll take myself over to church when we get back. Might find me a woman who wants to lead me to the paths of righteous again." Merle chortled.

"Get your ass full of buckshot is what'll happen. Not too many women without a man at De Novo." Daryl warned.

"Maybe I'll just roll up on the mountain with Jesse. Might find a hot mountain mama up there. Maybe I'll to find a woman who needs a man to protect her. You pussies are making me want a woman of my own." Merle stood up. "Daryl, you got first watch. I'll take second and then I'll wake up ole' blue eyes here."

Daryl had spent much of his watch thinking about Carol. He was afraid to say he loved her as if putting that out to the universe would cause it all to crumble. She would be asleep now at Rick and Andrea's house. Probably she and Sophia would be cuddled together. He missed her. He was worried for her and Sophia. Love did make you suffer, but not loving was suffering too.

Merle opened the front door quietly and sat down on the porch steps. "I missed you, Daryl. I'm sober, really sober this time. Dr. Ferrell shrunk my head so small that it finally slipped out of my ass. I'm happy that you got a good woman who loves you and a kid to give you fits. I want something more too. Don't know what it is, but it know what it isn't. Not sex with a drug whore or getting high or drunk. I'm a work in progress, but I ain't afraid to say I love you."

"I love you too. I love her and I guess I need to say that so the universe can hear it." Daryl moved to sit beside of Merle.

"You need to say it to her before you announce it to the universe." Merle shifted on the seat. "Got something to say to you. You ain't him and I ain't him. He didn't have to be him; he chose it. Dr. Ferrell told me that I had to forgive him to move on. I finally did. We're not scared little boys waiting for him to come through the door with the belt anymore, but in a way we have been. I tried to blot the fear out with drugs and sex and you just wouldn't let yourself feel anything for anybody but me. Your partner in fear. It's over now. Hit the play button. We're moving on. Now get you skinny ass to bed. Tomorrow we're going to go look for a Jesse's cousin and then we go home. You'll get to sleep with your woman and I get to play cards with that little shit Carl and my niece Sophia."

Daryl laughed and punched Merle's arm. "Maybe we'll all go to the mountains and you can find your mountain mama. Let's just stay together wherever we go."

"Sounds like a plan, little bruther. I think that Carl cheats at cards anyway."

It was still foggy when they left the next morning. Jesse was quiet this morning and Daryl figured that he was worried about what he might find at the place. The morning had a few doses of excitement but they were almost complacent when Merle drove the jeep around a curve and the road ahead was blocked with two vehicles and a scattering of armed men.

Merle took one look and hit the gas pedal hard. "Gonna get interesting."

Merle drove the Cherokee toward the armed men. Daryl closed his eyes and said goodbye to Carol. Jesse was praying and Merle was laughing. Daryl could hear rifle fire and then it was all over. They were driving down the road past the ambushers.

"What the hell happened?" Jesse managed to say.

Daryl could see places where bullets had hit the jeep but it was still moving even with a broken windshield.

Merle shrugged his shoulders, "Fuck if I know. I just figured that they would move before they would let us run over them. They expected us to try to go back and probably had shooters back there. No one expects you to just head toward them. Scared people don't shoot worth shit. Aim too high. I just kept one wheel on the road and the other on the berm and we rode through it. I closed my eyes for the last part though."

Daryl decided it he lived through this the first thing he was going to do was tell Carol that he loved her.

The rest of the trip was calmer. He could see that the world wasn't as empty as he thought. There were scattered outposts of survivors who left them along as long as they didn't slow down. They didn't.

That afternoon they found the road to the cabin and they followed it. Someone had cut some trees down to block the road and they walked the rest of the way up the mountain carrying their gear.

The trees were thick on either side of the road but Daryl knew they must be close to the summit. Suddenly a woman's voice called out, "Jesse, what in the fuck are you doing here?"

Jesse turned toward the voice, "I am looking for a certain cousin of mine. Her mother wants her ass back on another mountain. Come out. This guys are more harmless than they look."

Daryl saw a woman move out from behind a tree. She wasn't young. Forty or so. Tall and strong like Mary Grace. Black hair and eyes and a determined expression on her face. Jesse ran toward her and they hugged.

Jesse introduced Christina Osborne to him and Merle. She led them back up the hill to the cabin and yelled to someone inside, "Caleb, they are with me. It's okay. It's always sunny in Philadelphia." Christina turned to them. "It's our code that you are good guys."

Caleb turned out to be a boy about Sophia's age who was holding a two year old baby girl when they got inside. Christina picked up the baby, "This is Callie and she and Caleb are now mine. He had a broken leg so we had to wait until he had the cast off to try to make it home. We're running out of supplies so I was headed down to look for some food."

"We've got a Cherokee but we'll need something a little bigger to get everyone home. Daryl and I will walk down and see if we can scrounge up a new ride." Merle handed the extra rifle to Jesse. "You get caught up on family news while we're gone. Got any meat?" Christina shook her head. Maybe we'll hunt on the way back."

Merle was silent on the way down until they got to the Cherokee. "I think I found my mountain mama but it may take her a while to warm up to me."

Daryl hid his grin, "She is pretty and she handles a weapon like she knows how to use it. So you better move slow on this one."

"Gonna show her that I can pull my weight. Let's book back to that town we passed through. Lots of nice rides that were just out of gas. We'll fill one up and hide it up on the mountain. Then we'll go hunting." Merle had his plan all made and Daryl who had spent a lifetime following Merle's bad plans admired this one. It might work.

They found a Yukon with third row seating and abandoned the Cherokee. They parked their new vehicle on the mountain and went hunting. There wasn't a deer with suicidal impulses but they did get a good mess of rabbits.

Caleb grilled the rabbits and they used some of their freeze dried vegetables to go with the wild game. They ate on the front porch and made their plans to go home the next day. The route back was the same as the one coming in except they were taking a route around where they were ambushed.

Merle entertained the crowd with the story of how he had driven through an ambush and a few other stories about finding survivors with the army. Daryl noticed that he didn't share any stories about the New Life woman. Christina eyed Merle suspiciously. Merle turned his charms onto Callie who was soon sitting on his lap and enjoying a lollypop that Merle had in his pocket.

Christina asked to be called Christie and they learned that she had come here with Caleb and Callie's parents. She had tried to convince them to stay on the mountain but they had driven down the hill to see if things were improving. That was two months ago and they had never come back. She had used a power saw to drop some trees to discourage visitors. Now that Caleb was back on his feet she knew she should take off for the mountains before winter set in. Daryl understood how hard it was to leave a place that had been safe.

The next morning Christie carried Callie and the men carried the little that she was taking with here. The Yukon was there and they loaded quickly and took off. Daryl was excited because there was a good chance that they could make it back to De Novo today.

It was a quiet ride. Everyone was watching their surroundings. Merle swerved around walkers and they had to backtrack several times to get around herds. It was late afternoon when they came drove closer to De Novo. Jesse was driving the Yukon now and he and Merle were in his truck.

They were turning off the highway to the secondary road that led to De Novo when Daryl saw the American flag on an abandoned car. It was turned upside down, "Merle, do you see that flag? Carol's turned that to warn me that something is wrong at De Novo. We can't just waltz in there. Stop the vehicle."

Merle pulled over. "What the hell?"

"Jesse, you take your family home. You can get there before dark I think. Merle and I are going to go check out De Novo. If Carol turned the flag around she is on her way to Michonne, but if she and Sophia are in De Novo I have to go to them."

Jesse nodded, "I'll take them home and I'll find enough gasoline to come back and help."

"I can get home from here. You get out and help them. I can do it." Christie wasn't taking no for an answer.

Jesse looked at his cousin, "Carol has a little girl about Caleb's age. Keep a lookout for her." He got out of the Tahoe with his weapons and some water. "Be careful".

Daryl drove the truck closer to De Novo. They hid the truck up an old logging road and took a creek bed toward the back of the camp. There were walkers everywhere and Daryl wondered what had stirred them up. The three of them walked and clawed their way up the hillside around the camp and came out at a place where Daryl knew there weren't any security cameras. He cut the lines to the motion lights around that area.

His house was quiet and he couldn't see anything moving at Rick's place. Rick's truck was gone. It would be dark soon and the three of them would have to scale the fences. He knew something was very wrong at De Novo because the flag wasn't flying over the flagpole. The houses in his group were too quiet. No children playing outside.

Merle's face was intent, "If they have touched Carol or Sophia then I'll gut them myself and feed them to the walkers."

All three of them faded back into the brush waiting for the last rays of the sun to go down so darkness would descend on De Novo.


	12. On Their Own

On Their Own

Carol and Andrea walked toward their little office in the Administrative Building to check to see if they were any repairs that needed to be done. Sophia was at school.

Andrea glanced at Carol, "As much as I want every salacious detail about your sex life that you won't tell me anyhow let me tell you what's going on. First, Philip has ramped up the whispering campaign against Daryl and Rick. Daryl leaving again isn't going to help. Philip is saying that Daryl shirks his duties and that Rick uses his role as head of security to bully people."

"You mean the whole Pete-Jessie mess?" Carol had seen the bruises on Jessie and mentioned it to Rick who had managed to catch Pete beating Jessie. Rick had put Pete in the small room that was their only jail cell for a few days. Jessie was living in the house with their children while Pete had to live with the soldiers now.

"They are saying that Rick wants Jessie for himself," Andrea looked pissed, "I have been under the weather lately but Rick is not the kind of man to do that. Rick has caught a few people stealing and they have joined Philip's side."

"Rick, Morgan, and Glenn are on the run together right?" Carol was feeling a growing unease, but she wasn't sure if it was based on anything more than Daryl being gone.

"Yeah, Glenn is still in charge of the runs and he has Morgan and Rick in his truck. Most of the soldiers left yesterday because one of the settlements needed reinforcements. Major Nelson left a handful here. Gareth was handing around them yesterday. We need a plan, Carol."

"We'll have to keep the wagons circled. Daryl and Merle make a formidable team but we're on our own. We'll do what we have to do. Do you have all your weapons handy? The extra food and water ready?" Carol went on, "Let's keep walking. Who is on lookout?"

The two women walked on around by the gardens and the solar arrays. De Novo was peaceful in the autumn son, but it was too quiet. They were walking close to the gate when they saw Glenn's truck roar up the hill.

Glenn was driving and Carol could see Morgan sitting in the back of the truck. The gates were opened and Glenn drove over to them. "Rick's hurt. I'm taking him to the infirmary. Get in."

Bob was on duty and Hershel was there in less than two minutes. Glenn pulled Carol back toward the waiting room, "We were going through a warehouse. Suddenly two walkers fell from the second floor toward us. One hit Rick full force and his head struck a metal shelf hard. Morgan got that walker before it bit anyone. I got the other one, but it was close. We had guys all over the building and the second floor was cleared by Martinez and Shumpert. They are still there."

Everyone knew that things happen on runs, but Carol knew the likelihood that two walkers falling off onto three men after the place had been cleared was nil to none. Philip had seen a way to rid himself of some troublesome men and he wasn't going to quit. Philip was ready to make the move and take De Novo today.

"We need to get out of here. We're outnumbered. Philip has some fighters on his side and most will just sit back and let the winner take all." Carol understood that passivity. She had allowed Ed to abuse her because she didn't have the courage to fight. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing and there would be good men and women who would do nothing to stop this.

Andrea came out to talk to them and Morgan was with her, "Rick has a concussion but he will alright. What happened out there?"

Glenn gave her a quick version of the events. Morgan listened but made no comment. Andrea nodded and turned to Carol. "Got a plan?"

"Can he be moved?" Carol asked.

"He shouldn't be, but what is your plan?"

"We get out now while we can. We'll go to Michonne in the mountains. Gotta go now before Philip gets back." Carol saw the need for speed here.

Andrea nodded, "Go get the truck. I'll send Carl to get Sophia and they can help you load. Glenn can get his people. Let's go."

Glenn balked, "I can't run off. Hershel won't go. Maggie won't go without him. I'll stay and try to get along until I can talk them into leaving."

"Ginny has a heart condition that is managed with medication. I need to get into the pharmacy to get a good supply of that before I can move her. You two take off and we'll meet you there. Take Duane with you. I need to tell Ginny and get the medicine."

Carol quickly gave Morgan directions to the safe house. "We'll wait there until tomorrow morning. I remember the roads that we took to Jesse's house but they're not marked. You'll have to go with me."

Andrea and Carol looked at each other. Carol hugged her and took the keys to Rick's truck. "You stay with Rick. I'm getting the children. Get Rick ready to travel."

Duane went to his house to gather his things together while Carol grabbed the stored food and water. Their run bags were stored under Daryl's bed. The extra weapons and ammo were there too. She gathered some warmer clothes and blankets and hurried Sophia toward the truck. Duane and Carl were already loaded and Carol moved the truck closer and in less than a minute they were on their way to the infirmary.

Andrea wheeled Rick out and put him in the back of the truck.

Hershel came out to try to stop them, "Rick is hurt. He needs rest. This is foolishness. We can sit down with Philip and work this out. De Novo is big enough for everyone. We can have a town hall meeting and settle this like civilized people. It might have been an accident. You have to learn to trust the goodness in people."

Carol knew that Hershel meant well, but she had spent too much of her life waiting for the goodness in Ed to gain control. Hershel wanted the old world back and she had recognized that world no longer existed. Men like Philip liked the façade of civility but underneath there was a core of savagery. He kept it hid most of the time but it was there. Daryl saw it too.

"We're going. You might not get another chance. Morgan knows where we will be." Andrea's voice was grim and she and Carl put Rick in the bed of the truck and climbed in beside him. Carol had Duane and Sophia in the truck's cabin and she drove toward the gates. The gatekeeper hesitated a minute until Andrea pointed a rifle at him. Carol didn't slow down until she got to the car with the US flag hanging out the window. She stopped the truck and ran toward the flag and turned it upside down hoping Daryl would notice and not just drive into De Novo.

She warned Andrea that they might be followed and when Andrea knocked on the back window she nodded and went past two turnoffs until the one she wanted came up. Their pursuers were too close for comfort and she drove less than a hundred yards up the road and pulled behind the barn.

Carol grabbed her rifle and Duane and Sophia grabbed theirs. She took one corner of the barn and they took the other. Carol took out the driver and the truck swerved the other way. She ran toward the truck and threw a grenade at the wreckage. Daryl had traded a bottle of whiskey for that grenade from a soldier who liked drinking more than following orders. She threw herself into the ditch after she threw it knowing that Sophia and Duane hadn't left the side of the barn yet.

There wasn't any movement in the truck wreckage and she didn't waste any more ammo on it. "Get back in the truck. The noise will bring every walker in miles." Carol yelled.

Back on the highway again Carol drove another ten miles before she left the highway to travel another five miles to their safe house. She parked the truck inside the garage that used to house the Cherokee. There was still extra gasoline stored there.

Rick was moved inside and Andrea tended to him there. Carol put fuel in the truck with shaking hands and hoped that Morgan would come soon. The afternoon passed slowly. Sophia made sandwiches and kept everyone fed. The night was a thousand hours long. Rick was too sick and weak to talk and Andrea and Carl were busy with him. Duane and Sophia took first watch. Carol tried to get some sleep and managed an hour or two of fitful sleep.

They waited until midmorning before leaving. Carol was hoping that Morgan would show up later but finally she made the call. "We need to get there before dark and we don't know what is out there." Duane looked tearful but he helped load up the truck.

Carol was hoping that Morgan would show up and he could take over, but it was up to her and Andrea now. She pulled out onto the highway praying that they wouldn't find more trucks out looking for them. Duane and Sophia kept watch and Carol kept driving.

They ate at the same roadside park. Carol was trying to stifle the panic that she would lose her way. The others didn't need to worry with her and she ate a candy bar sitting beside of Andrea.

"Good to know that you keep an endless supply of grenades in your pack." Andrea took a bite of her own candy bar.

"That was the last one, damn it." Carol sighed.

Andrea gave her an eye roll, "I know you aren't going to tell me about your sexy times with Daryl but sometime I would like to get an earful of your pillow talk. Must be interesting."

Carol laughed, "Doesn't everybody cuddle and discuss ways to blow things up?"

"I'm more surprised that you got Daryl to cuddle than thinking that he taught you how to use a grenade." Andrea stood up. "Let's get this show on the road. Damn, I think I hear banjo music."

The last part was sheer terror for Carol. Beads of sweat were dropping into her eyes and she kept wiping them away. The narrow road hadn't become less curvy or steep but she kept her eyes on the road and held it together.

Sophia and Duane were quiet as if they knew that this was not the time to ask how much farther it was or that they needed to pee. There was still plenty of day left as she began to see more familiar landmarks and she navigated toward Mary Grace's house.

Michonne was sitting on the porch talking to Mary Grace as they stopped at the gate. She walked toward them and Carol could see the terror on her face. She must be thinking that they were bringing Jesse back.

The next hour was busy. Bayla and Beau kept running in circles with excitement. Michonne organized the move back to the other house. Mary Grace and Elijah followed them back so that she could tend to Rick and Elijah could make sure that all the technology that kept Jesse's house working was turned on.

Rick and Andrea were given the master bedroom. Michonne moved upstairs with Andre. Carol and Sophia took the room that she had stayed in with Daryl. The boys moved into the room with bunk beds and by the time Mary Grace left with Elijah they were settled in.

That evening the three women sat on the front porch with Andre watching Sophia, Carl, and Duane run around the front yard while Bayla and Beau romped around them. Carol cleaned her rifle. She didn't know what had happened at De Novo after they had left. She didn't know where Merle, Jesse, and Daryl were or when they would make it back. It was up to her and her two friends to protect themselves and their children. They were on their own.

AN

**You knew that sooner or later Philip would show his true colors. Hershel was always going to try to bring peace.**

**Review? **


	13. The Darkness Looking Back

The Darkness Looking Back

Philip Blake rubbed Mary's back, "I am so sorry for your loss. Alex was a fine young man." Mary was leaning on Gareth and his shirt was wet from her tears. Philip hated these extreme displays of emotion for a dumbass son who had been outwitted by two housewives.

Philip had driven out to the scene and saw that Rick's truck must have been pulled out of sight behind the barn and that idiot Alex had driven right into the trap. He had lost two other men in that fiasco. Alex had turned and killed the other two. He was down three men because of Alex.

Gareth wiped the tears from his eyes, "Mom, I'll avenge Alex when I get my hands on those two. It won't be quick or easy."

Philip eyed Gareth and wished that he had been in that ill-fated truck. Gareth's customary insouciance set his teeth on edge. Gareth was smart enough but he was too jaunty and playful. Philip was building a kingdom here and he didn't appreciate the young man's cavalier attitude. Sooner or later he would have to kill this snotty kid because Philip had no intention of letting Gareth get his hands on Andrea and Carol. Philip was reserving those two for himself.

Andrea had attracted his attention on the truck. What man can resist a beautiful blonde? She was too good for that prissy lawman, and Philip had decided to take her for a wife when he took control of De Novo. She would look every inch a queen at his side as he ruled his kingdom.

Philip had noticed Carol that day as well. She was quieter, more reserved, and he knew that she wasn't fooled a bit by his genial manner. He liked that about her and he had watched her blossom at De Nova. Carol had become more confident and confidence is always sexy. She was wasted on that uneducated lout Daryl and he hated the way Carol seemed to light up whenever Daryl was around. He wanted that flirty smile for himself. He wanted Carol for himself. Andrea would be the queen that the rest of the world would see and envy him. Carol would be the queen that helped him rule. Philip sensed that behind the housewife façade there was a woman who could make tough calls. He knew the key to power over Carol was Sophia. She would do his bidding to protect her daughter. Mothers were the easiest to control.

Carol and Andrea weren't all that young so he had decided to add one more mare to his stable. Maggie was in her early twenties and he wanted many sons so that they could take over after he was gone. Philip wanted sons by Andrea and Carol because he believed they would be tough and intelligent and Maggie's sons would be extra insurance that his seed would rule.

Philip had been forced to attend church by his parents when he was young. He had hated it and all those moral precepts endlessly evoked and rarely practiced had made him cringe. King David had interested him however. He was ruthless warrior and sending Uriah out to die in battle so that he could have the dead man's wife as his own. Now there was a role model he could emulate. Rick should have died out there and then Andrea would be his already. Daryl would be killed and then he would possess Carol. Glenn's death would bring Maggie into his harem.

Philip pulled this thoughts away from the pleasant thought of the women that would soon be under his control. Carol and Andrea would wander back soon. Daryl had wandered off with Merle on some adventure and they would drive up the hill to the gate in a day or two. The gatekeepers would be Martinez and Shumpert. Daryl and Merle would be killed before the gates were open.

It had all been too easy. His men had arrested Morgan in the pharmacy taking medications for his wife. The good people of De Novo were told that Morgan had loaded up all the medicine to take with him. Glenn had protested and he was arrested too. Both men were being held in the administration building. He had put two incompetents as their guards with the expectation that Morgan and Glenn would try to escape. Mary and Gareth were going to be watching as well. Eventually Morgan and Glenn would escape and Gareth would kill them. Philip knew that the rest of De Novo would fall in line. The few soldiers left here were already doing his bidding.

Hershel was upset but the old fool was still spouting off platitudes about compromises and working together for the common good. Philip was going to keep Hershel around because he was an excellent veterinarian and a decent people doctor.

Philip congratulated himself on his own patience. Daryl's and Glenn's run crews had brought back provisions and supplies that would keep De Novo fed through the coming winter and spring. Carol and Andrea had made sure that the houses were warm and comfortable. Rick and Morgan had strengthened the fences and trained every adult in defensive skills. Hershel was developing sustainable agriculture.

Philip gently pushed Mary off of his arm. "I must go and see to the prisoners. Gareth, come with me."

Gareth nodded and lazily got up from his chair. Philip had taken over the Administration building and Major Nelson's office. Gareth had sat his lazy ass in the Major's chair while Philip comforted his mother. The boy had ambitions but he lacked the stones to go to war. He reminded Philip of a spider. Gareth would build a trap and wait for his victims to be caught in his web. There was a "lean and hungry look" to him and Philip promised himself that he would not let this one stay around too long.

Gareth finished uncoiling himself from the comfortable chair, "Why don't we just kill Glenn and Morgan now? No need to wait around until it gets dark."

Philip gritted his teeth, "Less witnesses."

Gareth led the way to the small jail area, "The last patrol didn't find any sign of Andrea or Carol."

Philip visualized shooting Gareth in the back of his head, "They'll come back. Two women, an injured man, and three kids can't make it out there. The women won't let their children get killed." Philip was furious that they had been allowed to leave, but who would have thought that two women would take their children and an injured man and run into a walker filled world. He loved them for their courage but he intended to punish them when he found them. Those two had won the first round but he wasn't going to admit it. He would have Maggie tonight to be the recipient of his anger.

"They left yesterday around noon. Seems your little lovebirds have flown from the nest. It's almost dark and they're not back. Maybe they met up with Daryl and his brother. Let's get this over with now." Gareth turned to him, "Morgan's wife is in the infirmary with chest pains."

Philip visualized shooting Gareth between the eyes, "Your plan to change her heart meds worked. Between taking the wrong medications, the strain of her husband being in jail, and her worry about her son Ginny is going to die tonight. Hershel will give her the fatal injection soon thinking that it will save her. I want Morgan to know that she is ill. That will force him to try to go to her. Then you put him and that pup Glenn down."

Morgan and Glenn were locked in side by side cells at the rear of the building. The only access was by walking through the building. Philip nodded at the man on guard. "Take a break. Gareth and I are going to interrogate our prisoners. We won't be opening the doors."

Philip waited until the guard was gone, "Are you two ready for a deal? I'll let you go if you'll just take your families and leave in the morning."

Morgan eyed him suspiciously but Glenn looked hopeful, "I can take Maggie and leave?"

"You have to promise not to come back. There will be an order to shoot you if you are anywhere near here." Philip loved the spark of hope in the kid's eye. Now to crush it, "Of course, tonight I will have Maggie handcuffed and brought to my new quarters here. You may hear some screaming but I won't kill her. Don't be an idiot, boy. I'm going to keep you alive until tomorrow just so you can see what I did to the woman you love."

Glenn grabbed the cell bars, "I'll kill you if you touch her." Sadly the boy lacked imagination. He hadn't yet figured out that he wasn't going to have a chance to kill him.

Phillip turned to Morgan, "Ginny is in the infirmary. Seems her heart medicine isn't working right. Might be because it isn't her prescription that she has been taking the last week. Gareth's idea and it worked. You won't have to see her bruised and battered body tomorrow because she will die tonight. See you tomorrow morning."

Morgan didn't say anything, and he slumped against the cell bars like a rag doll. Philip kept his just out of reach of Morgan's hands. The man looked broken but he was still dangerous.

Gareth followed him out. "Do you want me to get Maggie now?"

"Let's wait until later. You need to go get your mother and stand guard inside the building. I'll send the guard back in here. Morgan will find some way to overcome the guard and he'll go toward the infirmary. Glenn will head for Major Nelson's quarters. I don't want a lot of witnesses. I trust you two." That was a lie. He didn't trust either of them, but he needed killers and they were that.

Philip was furious that Carol and Andrea were gone. He knew as soon as Gareth made the snarky comment about them not coming back that he could not have them as his queens. He needed to show his followers that he could be merciless to those who defied him. The cruel deaths of Andrea and Carol would be cautionary tales to the others. There were other beautiful women who would appreciate what he could offer them.

Philip made certain that Mary and Gareth were in position and he checked in with Martinez and Shumpert. They were patrolling close to the gates in case Daryl came back late. He didn't expect him. No one traveled after dark in these days.

Philip stopped at the flagpole. He had had the flag taken down when he got back from looking for Andrea and Carol. Tomorrow morning a new flag would go up. Mary had been his own personal Betsy Ross. A simple field of royal blue with the Blake coat of arms on it. He wanted to be watch it go up the flagpole the first time. This small community was the first step in acquiring a kingdom. Next spring he would open another community and welcome refugees to find safety there. They would understand that they would have to pay for the protection that his walls offered. Then there would be another walled community built and then another. All paying him tribute. He was on his way to becoming an absolute monarch. Nothing could stop him now.

AN

Gareth's "lean and hungry look" is from Shakespeare. Philip doesn't trust Gareth.

I promise to be better about updates. Gotten a case of the writer's block .

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